


Brandon Walsh Goes to the Hills

by Sherann



Category: 90210 (2008), Beverly Hills 90210 (1990)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-10-04 08:26:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 39,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10272398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sherann/pseuds/Sherann
Summary: Oh, Beverly Hills, the place of beaches, sun, and dreams come true. That was how Brandon Walsh would have loved to remember his experience in one of the most popular places in the country instead all he remembers is the hurt he felt once he fled the home of his youth. He returns for one last time, one last time, turns into a whole event one that he had not intended. He runs into his old friends Dylan, Valerie, Steve, Andrea and Kelly. Will they be able to come to grips with their loss or will they leave their old town more broken than before?





	1. Preface

The Bad boy, Dylan McKay  
Dylan wrote:  
Beautiful women are like life  
And life is much like beautiful women  
It loves, it cares, it tests, and wines  
It fights, and beats and it's happening all the time  
You don’t want it to go but you want it stay  
Hoping that it would eventually shape,  
Into what you want, your perfect fantasy  
Taking away what you don’t want to see  
But when it fails to do so and loses its worth  
And all that’s left is just you; definition hurt  
I want to kill it, end it at the drop of a dime  
Leave it, even if it’s the only thing that’s mine  
Once she leaves there goes the life  
There goes the sun giving way to the night  
And all that’s left are visions and bad dreams  
Mom leaving before I was thirteen  
Living and drinking on my own since fifteen  
Dad incarcerated by the age of seventeen  
My wife Antonia’s bloody crime scene  
My fiancé’s Brenda’s blood stained jeans  
Dad dead and I must have been eighteen  
You see because…  
Beautiful women are like life  
And life is much like beautiful women  
It loves, it cares, it tests, and wines  
It fights, and beats and sadly it’s happening all the time

-Dylan McKay  
I use to be the mean girl, Valerie Malone  
An elite team of FBI agents mobilized in front of the culprit’s home. Their leader, Detective Malone commanded that they go around the back and wait for her signal. The two swat members in front broke down the door with ease allowing the rest of the crew to spill into the house. She shouted “FBI, FBI” startling the criminal cradling the poor defenseless little girl. Edwardo’s eyes shifted trying to find a way out of his house but his body was forced to the ground before he could make a move.  
Valerie then handcuffed his risk together and then escorted him out the door into the police car. It had been three months since the little girl was taken, finally she could rest peacefully knowing that the world-renowned rapist would be behind bars. She went back to the station to put away her weaponry when one of their profilers, Dr. Lyndon Humphry, snuck up from behind.  
“Hey Val, did we catch him?”  
The good doctor had rushed all the way across town to catch her before she left.  
While he was talking, she was still putting away her belongings.  
“We got him and we couldn’t have done it without your help so thank you.”  
“So, are you now free to go out on a date?” He asked knowing that she had no more excuses left to give. Valerie had fed him every lie in the book hoping that he would move on to a girl who was smoother around the edges, more refined, more safe. She couldn’t be with anyone now that she had come to terms with what she had done.

I was the Funny guy, Steve Sanders  
The teacher of the tenth-grade class had left Mr. Sanders in her classroom. The students’ instructor had invited him there to talk about business and the real world and now that she had stepped out he intended on doing just that. The kids stared at him in silence, his sharp blue eyes slit through the ones who were feeble and weak. To the students’ surprise he pulled out a cigar from his coat jacket and began smoking.  
“If you don’t mind.” Steve said wryly, as if he needed permission from a bunch of sophomores.  
Right when the smoke settled in, a loud clank was heard from the lockers as two boys laughed on the other side of the wall  
When the door swung open a freckled kid busted in. “Good morning Mrs.-” Then he saw the man who wasn’t his teacher ominously peering at him in disgust.  
“How dare you disturb my presentation?” That sentence was all it took, and the joy and happiness instantly evaporated. Steve picked at his collar, the one with the hole pierced in it. “How did you even get into this school?” Steve knew the kids mother and father. In fact, when the boy’s dad fell on hard times he came to Steve who immediately turned him away. “Mom and dad are obviously still living out in the minivan I see.” The boy started to tear up. “Pathetic, with any luck you’ll be just like him. Sit down.”  
The boy took his seat, his eyes searing red. A classmate from behind whispered in his ear, “Who is this guy?”  
The boy woefully answered, “My uncle.”

Andrea Zuckerman: If I wasn’t such a nerd  
“Dear Diary.” Andrea wrote in her old fashion note book. “Hannah ran away from home again. I just came back from riding up the streets like a maniac looking for her. Yes, I know she’s like an adult, but every time she storms out I feel as though I might never see her again. The reason for her grand escape? She saw me and her father fighting again, the only difference from the norm is her younger siblings, Katie and Christopher, caught us. She despises us already, the last thing she wants is for her brother and sister to get involved. I don’t want a divorce. I can’t get a divorce. I mean, Jesse will love me again, he’ll leave the bar and those strippers eventually and he’ll see that he needs a wife, right? I’ve given so much for this family, like a seed I’ve buried it and given lots of water and love, I just don’t know why it hasn’t bloomed into something beautiful. Excuse my plant analogy. Yesterday, I looked in the mirror, I mean really looked in the mirror, for the first time in weeks. Bags under my eyes and sweat dripping from my face, yes it was the nerd Andrea Zuckerman, but, she didn’t like what she saw. I’ve never been the diva, I’ve never been the model, or the trendy girl, yet I’ve never been so repulsed at my reflection. Tell me, what’s changed?”  
Everybody’s favorite girl, Kelly Taylor  
There’s been four husbands, fifteen boyfriends and twice as many one night stands. There’s been magazine upon magazine with her perfectly pale face plastered on the cover. There were parties and gatherings nearly every night in her home that had become the highlight of New York. Then for an hour at the end of the week she would sit down and talk to her son, Joshua Taylor. He was a bright eighteen-year-old boy who had been living with her sister Erin for the past year for reasons he had yet to figure out. Kelly Taylor hugged her son and she made sure to hug him tight in fear that he would come to hate her in the future. She was aware that he was coming of age, he didn’t verbally say the questions that were weighing on his mind but she sensed that he was thinking of them. Erin had told her of the story about how his school had an assembly honoring the fathers one weekend. Her sister had told her about the pain that he wore unknowingly on his face not being able to congregate with the students who had dads. What he didn’t know was that his mom knew his father and the lies she had planted in him from a toddler about dad not wanting to be in his life were fibs to keep him from finding out the truth.

The one who seemed to be Perfect, Brandon Walsh  
For those of you who don’t know me my name is Brandon Timothy Walsh, or should I say President Brandon Walsh. I was elected two years ago, as the leader of the free world and hadn’t looked back since. It was on one Sunday afternoon in the middle of August that I was marveling at the amazing spectacle, which was my life and I saw that it was a perfect depiction of a coming of age story; one that would most likely be an academy award winning film someday. Let’s start from the beginning shall we, born and raised in Minnesota I was taken out of the comforts of my small circle when my dad uprooted our family and we moved to Beverly Hills, California. I went from living amongst simple folk to having friends who were acquainted with celebrities and millionaires. All and all, I lived in the sunny state for a sum of eight years, a short amount of a time in the span of life but it was those years that broaden my horizon. Three lessons that I took from that place was that you could have it all, lose it all and that no man should be trusted.  
I absolutely despised Beverly Hills.  
I had felt that way for a while, and I had my reasons. Those reasons all of sudden started to shift when I received a letter from the mayor of my once hometown. At first I rejected his invitation, after no response he then proceeded to send me another with the same content and I threw that one in the trash as well. I said to myself, ‘there is no way in hell that Brandon Walsh is going back to the Hills.’  
‘Why did I need to be there?’ I asked. I had a wife, the first lady, who could set an iceberg on fire. If that's even a thing. My two good looking sons, ha ha, they stole that from their dad. I had servants that tended to my every need. I had a beautiful wife and two sons. Right… I said that already. Anyways, I was what most considered a close to perfect human being. I was above whatever juncture the mayor could throw.  
Then the next day the mayor called, he babbled on and on about how we should come together laddidadadada… and eventually I bleeped his voice out. I had policies to look over, and I was tussling with congress already, so again I said ‘there is no way in hell that Brandon Walsh is going back to the Hills.’  
I believe it was the day after I attended a breakfast with the highest scoring students in the country. Being there brought me back. One kid asked me, how was my high school and college years? A typical question that could have been answered easily yet I stumbled on my words because a floodgate of unwanted memories drowned my thoughts. I immediately was in the classroom watching myself joking about a hot girl with the playful and high spirited Steve Sanders. I recalled staying up till two in the morning writing a column for the paper with the insightfully brilliant Andrea Zuckerman. I could nearly smell the fresh salty air after going out for a surf with the mischievous Dylan McKay. I saw myself dancing on the floor with the prominently beautiful, Kelly Taylor. But then the kid didn’t just mention high school, he mentioned college. And when I thought of college, I remembered it as the years I was bunking with the hottest most complex girl in Valerie Malone. In an instant I was filled with joy, I was home. Then I remembered who we were now, and that’s when I said, ‘there is no way in hell that Brandon Walsh is going back to the Hills.’  
Later, that night, my wife and I were engaging in one of our daily arguments. I believe it had something to do with our eldest son sneaking out to a party. That confrontation ended with her throwing her glass at the wall as I high tailed it outta there. I fell asleep in the oval office and woke up in my old home in Minnesota. My mom was in the kitchen, and my dad was in the backyard blasting his Rolling Stones records. I was so full of glee, I didn't know where to start. When I heard mom scrubbing the dishes I figured I'd start with her. I swung my arms around her and when I pulled away I could see she was upset, I didn’t know why. She then told me to go to my room where I ran into a person that I hadn't seen in a while. It was Brenda. She was crying over a cracked photo and when I looked over I saw it was a picture of us split in two. I awoke gasping for air. For some strange reason, I couldn't keep my composure, I had already begun to panic, my perfect life all of sudden wasn't so perfect, and why? Because there was no Brenda. My friends, my family, my everything imploded when my twin sister died and at the time I refused to admit it.  
When I collected, myself I saw that there was a letter on my desk, want to guess who it was from? Exactly, the mayor. I read it for the third time. Dylan McKay, Valerie Malone, Steve Sanders, Andrea Zuckerman, and Kelly Taylor would also be attendees at this party. Thinking back on my nightmare, I said, ‘the hell Brandon Walsh is going back to the Hills.’  
I originally had only one intention in mind and that was to prove to my dead sister, my dead mother, my dead father and most importantly to myself that I didn't need anybody. I wanted to believe again that I oversaw my own fate and could make my own miracles. Little did I know the madness that was awaiting me as soon as I got there. So, I beg of you to join me, in better words join us as I narrate the experience, the experience of when we set foot again on the corner of 90210.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
In the middle of a blazing hot summer's day people by the hundreds began to rally around the stage. The mayor of Beverly Hills took his place at the podium, he waved his hand and the buzzing crowd simmered down.  
"Thank you, thank you" the crowd continued to applaud. "Thank you the amazing people of Beverly Hills. Today we are celebrating this lovely town in all its glory. When the committee was constructing this whole entire thing, young people are what came to mind. When kids think about building the city they automatically think that it's an adult's job and that it has nothing to do with them. But teens I'm telling you that it has everything to do with you. You guys are the future and by going to school and succeeding in life you are helping build this town. As all of you might have heard I recruited proof to back up exactly what I am saying. These are some students who attended our home college and our very own high school. They have made Beverly Hills more than a Hollywood town but a place where you could meet life goals. Coming now are some familiar faces." A trail of men and women began to head up the back of the stage. The audience was excited as the special guest aligned themselves behind the mayor. "I could tell by your excitement that you know these people. About twenty-five years ago, these were teenagers who were walking these sidewalks preparing for their glorious future. They are the best of friends helping each other to succeed since high school. They are an example of what friendship and hard work can achieve. On my far right is the highest paid surgeon in Seattle, Andrea Zuckerman. Next to her is a popular up and coming poet and author, Dylan McKay. May I introduce to you our Cover Girl, Ms. Kelly Taylor. Standing next to her is the wealthy tycoon, Steve Sanders. Ms. Valerie Malone will be here, her flight was delayed and she will be in shortly. Finally, it is an honor to introduce to you the President of the United States, the honorable President Brandon Walsh." Everyone in the crowd erupted. "Thank you, Mr. President, for being our guest of honor!”  
So, this is where our story begins. I would hear people from left and right screaming, 'Mr. President, Mr. President...' It never gets old being reminded that you're the President of the United States. Nearly twenty years ago, if you would've told me that I would be standing on a platform with these guys having all our accomplishments announced to the world I probably would have peed myself out of anticipation. In better words, this was supposed to be a joyous and most satisfying moment, unfortunately, it wasn’t. The real satisfaction at that ceremony would be to leave without causing a major scene reflecting how things truly were. After a couple more moments of just sulking in the praise we took photos ones in which we had to be super close; that was extremely uncomfortable. We proceeded then to tell the media lies and say things that wouldn't stir up any drama. Becoming a notable person, you realize that there is already too much news floating around and none of us wanted to give Hollywood another juicy subject to distort. Oh no, the game of pretend wasn’t over quite yet. The mayor and the committee then insisted that we join them in the ballroom for more 'fun.' When we got there, I saw how all of us broke apart to different corners as if we were all infected with some disease that the other didn’t want to catch. And if I remember correctly this was around the time that the mayor approached me.

"Mr. President!" Mayor Anderson called out. "Mr. President, I cannot thank you enough for coming. Being the youngest President I know you must be busy. I just admire how you and your friends carried each other through the best and the worst of times. Very rarely a person finds somebody who they could count on during any storm. From what I heard from your former teachers you spearheaded that movement of engaging…"

Let me stop you right here because this was the point where I began to just nod my head. The mayor seemed to be a generally nice guy but I had just sat on the stage for two hours and I couldn’t stomach more flattery. My mindset was 'I already know that' so why tell me it. So, while the Mayor turned around to get us champagne I casually walked away because I could. As you may have already guessed I was an arrogant know-it-all prick who could care less. I surveyed the room with my security not far behind just feeling like I received what I came there for; assurance. I felt super freakin' cocky as I saw all my former friends discreetly eyeing me from afar probably disgusted by the haughty grin that was so proudly stretched across my face. The Mayor probably thought this whole setup was a gathering of old friends, to some degree yes, in its entirety it was a competition of which one had the most remarkable life. 'I'm the President of the United States,’ I thought, ‘you couldn’t get any higher.’ Every girl wanted me and every guy wanted to be me. When my eyes caught, Steve cutting across the room for some punch I saw it as another opportunity for me to buff my ego a little more.

"Well isn't it Sanders, have we met before?" Brandon said mockingly. "C'mon Steve, you were like my best man we haven't talked to each other since we got here." Steve refused to lift his eyes from the table. "How cute you still have the rosy red cheeks and the curly blonde hair. Wait--what happened to that big smile?" Brandon reached up to touch Steve's face but his former friend slapped him down.  
"You could talk all you want, but don't touch me." Steve demanded quietly.  
"So, that's it." Brandon chuckled. "Don't touch me. I think it's don't touch me." The President stepped next to one of the men in suites standing close by. "You see this is my head of security, his name is Greg and he will knock you senseless if you ever hit me again."  
"Brandon Walsh. Are you done? Please don’t tell me that’s the best you could do? I’m not in kindergarten, take your blind threats to somebody who’d be convinced. I know you too well."   
“So… I heard daddy croaked last year…” Brandon retaliated. Steve crushed the plastic cup he was holding in his grip. “Ahhhh… I know you too well.”  
“Hey Greg,” the millionaire addressed the man posted next to Brandon. “Now I know you’re authorized to keep your lips sealed but this has to shock you just a little that you endorse a lying twit. What did they sell to the public on the campaign trail, the nicest guy around?” Steve inched into him a little closer. “You're an absolute disgrace to this country." He uttered under his breath.  
Brandon's security moved their massive bodies in front of him in response to Steve’s approach. "Calm down boys he's not going to do a thing." The service fell back a little as Brandon moved in. "It must eat you up alive that I now hold this country in the palm of my hand.” He flashed a devilish smile. “And aren’t you lucky my friend to have witnessed my greatness. I led half of the student body on a march on a very important test day. I was the kid who became class President at UCLA in his sophomore year and most importantly I carried your sorry butt through high school and college. I was destined to be your leader. Let's take a peek into Steve Sanders. I think old daddy Rush Sanders said it best, ‘just pitiful.’”  
Steve shrugged his shoulders not looking the slightest bit moved by his insult. "True. Then Steve Sanders parents died and he inherited their vast fortune." He bluntly answered. “I'm sorry to disappoint but I'm rich, I have sex with beautiful women every day of the week, own ten cars, and guess what, I didn't even need a 3.0 gpa. And you know I'm gonna go a little bit further and say whether I met you or didn't meet you this would have all ended the same. My parents might have not been the nicest or the sweetest but they came through for me in the end." Still aware that they were at a function Brandon still wore his smile. Steve picked up another cup of punch and clinked it with Brandon's glass of wine to the President’s dismay. "Cheers."  
Dylan overheard the undercover argument. The sound of the leader of the free nation’s voice caused his insides to crawl. Very rarely would he react in a way that would make him want to jump quickly, but it was Brandon who was a couple inches away, the man who had hurt him the most. "Steve, you shouldn't talk back to the leader of the free world like that, it's inappropriate." The poet said quietly, speaking loud enough just so his former friend could hear him. He too made it seem like he was over at the table to just pick at the finger food.   
The President’s face twisted as if he tasted something rotten when he saw Dylan. "And McKay who invited you?"  
"No one." He replied solemnly taking a stand next to Steve. "You don't mind Sanders if I join you?"  
As Steve sipped his punch he shook his head giving Dylan the right-away.  
"Oh... I didn't know you two were in bed together." Brandon insulted.  
"Cute, have you been saving that one?" Dylan said very monotoned. “It seems that me and Steve share something in common, we both despise you."  
"Aww... say it again, it's music to my ears. Standing in front of me..." he looked to Steve. "The friend who brushed me off and abandoned me when I needed him the most.” He looked to Dylan. "And low and behold the friend who murdered my sister…” Brandon paused. “Not saying anything? Thought you wouldn’t.” All the writer could do is stand firm and take the beating. He couldn’t defend himself because when it came to Brenda he was always at a loss for words. Dylan was aware that telling the full truth in his frustration would make things ugly.  
“So, McKay you’re gonna let him say that?” Steve reentered the quarrel. “Are you gonna let this man accuse you of killing your fiancé?” Dylan responded to Steve’s questions in silence. “You know what you’re pathetic.” Steve concluded.  
“Yeah, he is, I believe that was my point.” Said Brandon.  
“Woah hold up Prez-” Steve interrupted. “Just because Dylan won’t speak doesn’t change the fact that he had nothing to do with Brenda’s death.”  
Feeling hot and flushed Brandon clenched his fist at the accusation, he could’ve knocked his fist clean across Steve’s face right then but he didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing him go off.  
“Get mad all you want but I like to think that old daddy Jim Walsh said it best, when Brenda needed you the most you weren’t there, so let’s rethink, who really killed her?”  
“First off keep my father’s name out of your damn mouth.” He welled up with tears, Steve struck a chord that the arrogant man was not prepared to deal with.  
“The same goes here-”  
“No, you listen, he killed her.” Brandon pointed his finger at Dylan who was wistfully standing to the side. “He killed his dad, his first wife Antonia and then came for my sister. It seems that everyone close to Dylan drops dead.” He turned his body completely to his sister’s last lover. “My advice to you is to stay away from the altar and make like your tragic poetry and kill yourself because you hurt the wrong girl.”  
"You don’t understand, you will never understand.” Dylan replied calmly. “I knew that and so did Brenda.”  
‘I knew that and so did Brenda.’ What did that mean I had no idea? Dylan had picked up a bad case of speaking in rhyme and poetry, every second I was around him made me feel like I was in a melodrama. I walked away from that insulting encounter in disgust. Steve and Dylan continued ranting on the subject that was me and I wondered into the open with Brenda on my mind. The last thing that I wanted was to get hung up on my sister, I hated Dylan even more for showing his face and reviving the gut-wrenching emotion of seeing her in that casket. Visions of the past arose. Visions of the past arose and were immediately dismissed when I saw her. This woman from my past.  
Slim waist under a moon shadowed dressed that emphasized every part of the body a man wanted to see. At first her face was hidden then she swooped her golden-brown hair behind her shoulder as she bent down to pick up her napkin. That's when her face was revealed. Winter blue eyes, glossy skin, it was a more matured version but yes it was Valerie. I instantly turned away, it was Valerie, she was like my cousin, oh but then I remembered that we kissed, and then we hit third base in college. Then my eyes jumped to a less interesting person, my ex-fiancé Kelly Taylor and her puppy… I mean her intern.

"Just to let you know Percy was trying to get ahold of you. Do you want me to tell him that you’re on vacation?"  
“No, he’ll understand I’ll… call him later.”  
“Glad I could join you Ms. Taylor on your trip back to your hometown.”  
"Well Vivienne I needed someone to escort me on this trip, being here makes me so angry. You need to be all ears and no lip because I’m probably going to be complaining like I’m on my period for the next eight hours."  
“Are you really on your period, or-”  
“And starting now.” Kelly clapped her hands together. “You see that woman so innocently sitting by the cocktail table." She pointed in that direction. "That's Valerie Malone."  
"Oh… The detective." Vivienne spotted.  
"I can’t stand her.”  
“Neither can I.”  
“You don't know her.”  
“I mean, I don't understand she’s not Celia Uttara who’s after your fashion empire.”  
“No, she’s not, she’s worst. When I heard she was a cop I fell out of my seat.”  
“I don’t mean to oppose you in any type of way, but even though a cop makes a meager salary it is considered an honorable profession, you know putting bad guys in the gutter.”  
“Viv her vagina’s in the gutter. Escort, professional pole dancer, prostitute, was more of what I saw in her future."  
“Ma’am she seems a little reserved for that-"  
"Ha! Yeah, the little facade she's putting on is good. But believe me back in college this hoe slept with everyone. I'm willing to bet that's the only reason why she has some sort of career."  
"So, she sexed her way to the top?"  
"Yeah that's one way to put it. The first year she came to Beverly Hills she had already slept with Dylan and Steve, she banged Donna's boyfriend Ray, my step brother David Silver, my no-good boyfriend Collin, and if it wasn’t for my interference she would have gotten her dirty little hands on President Walsh.”  
“You stopped her?”  
“Of course, Brandon is a dirty liar, but he’s definitely above flat out trash.”  
“That was nice of you.”  
“The things I do for my country.”  
Legs crossed and eyes focused Valerie could sense the abhorrence in the room by the hand movements of Dylan and Steve and the way Kelly Taylor kept stealing glances at her. She knew it was the wrong decision in attending this ceremony. Why did she rush over? Why didn’t she just make-up a bogus excuse after the flight was delayed? She wondered how long it would be till everyone was discussing her corrupt past of lust and seduction. She wanted to scream, 'I've changed' but none of her old crew would believe that. There was always more resentment towards her than all the other girls when they were just as bad. Andrea Zuckerman appeared to be a goody-two shoes doctor today but she got pregnant back in college, then cheated on her husband with a guy she met at a Laundromat. Brenda, God rest her soul, was a recipe for disaster; no leash could keep her from trouble. Finally, Kelly Taylor.   
When Valerie first came to Beverly Hills Brenda had just left to pursue an acting job in England, immediately she was thrusted into Brenda’s former life. She was in her bedroom, down the hall from her parents and a bathroom away from her twin Brandon. It was exactly what she had expected. Upon arriving she was introduced to her friends one of them being Kelly Taylor. They were sitting at the dinner table, Brandon had been dating her for some time and she was flashing Valerie the most insincere smile a person could give. It was soon after that the truth unraveled, she didn’t like her, she didn’t like her from the moment she stepped into the Walsh’s home. Brenda and Kelly were friends, sadly, that was one role Valerie couldn’t fulfill. Every one of those Beverly Hill drones wanted to jam her in their box and she exploded under the pressure. Valerie slept around? They had forgotten all of Kelly’s bows. Steve, Matt, Jake, Jeff, Tom, Dylan, Brandon, Collin... Yeah and then they wanted to call her a slut and accuse her for being the mean girl just because she was honest and didn’t bamboozle her male partners into thinking that a few nights in the bed was love; that’s exactly what Kelly did.   
‘Just strike her with lightning or something,’ she thought when Kelly, the demon queen, twiddled her fingers at her and then turned to mock her some more to her assistant.  
Valerie’s negative thoughts ran wild causing her to miss the arrival of Andrea Zuckerman who took the chair beside her. When the surgeon sat, her hands shivered. Valerie couldn’t ignore the fact that she was scared beyond all reason. What she didn’t know was that Andrea received a call from her drunk husband a couple minutes earlier. The truth of his feelings was finally revealed when he demanded a divorce, and half of their earnings which predominantly belonged to her. He went on ranting on how she hadn’t been there for the kids and that her career had taken a toll on their marriage. When Jesse set his mind on doing something there was no use in changing it, drunk or not. Obviously, all the claims he was making was to spite her and it was working, she felt helpless. Even worse she overheard an angry Hannah burst in the room shouting at her father for speaking so loud warning him that Christopher and Katie were sleeping. She expressed her distaste for her parents through cursing and other hateful language and when she was through Jesse turned to the phone again blaming Hannah’s vendetta on her before hanging up. Andrea could see that her family was falling apart. Valerie watched her small movement from the corner of her eyes. She witnessed her pulling a beautiful diamond shaped ring off her finger dropping it in the trash that was a couple inches away. The chief of police for Beverly Hills then stole Andrea for a quick chat and just like that the smile was back on and she again joined the monster’s ball.   
The party continued for the next couple of hours. They thought it was over till the mayor made an irrefutable suggestion.

Nothing could have prepared us for what was about to occur next. It was the end of the party and we were being forced to attend a photo shoot at the mayor's favorite site in the Hills. By this time everyone just wanted to go home. The mayor jumped up and down thinking he was getting another opportunity to talk to the famous people. He offered to drive us there on his coach bus mentally preparing twenty questions he would ask once we were on. Before the bus door slid open everybody's eyes were rotating in all directions. We boasted, we drank, we bragged, ignored, and had fun spiting each other. Now came that time, the sun had set and the devil came to collect his dues. It's a fact of life that I had come to learn. You can’t act the way we did and not suffer from a guilty conscience. For me, I started feeling sorry for myself. If my parents were around they would think of me as a failure.   
Everybody took separate seats. We all looked out the window with blank expressions not even barring the emotion or the feeling to cry. The mayor hopped on with the goofiest smile on his face; sad guy thought he was coming aboard the party bus. The depression was so heavy even he felt it. He took a seat in the front and didn't say a word. The vehicle cranked up and we were on our way to the mayor's special site. We passed the Peach Pit. We passed our high school. We passed the hotel that hosted our prom. We passed the street where one of my friends was killed in a car accident. We passed the outlet area where Kelly and Donna set up shop. The more places we passed the more I realized what I was missing. The more I hated the sight of this place and was reminded why I never came back. I remembered how that one tear rolled down my cheek feeling that I couldn't stay any longer or my heart would burst out of exhaustion. It was a twelve-minute ride but believe me when I say it was the lengthiest twelve minutes of our lives. It was so drawn out to the point I could calculate the buses location every two minutes. At the fourth minute, we went passed our high school, at the sixth we went over a little bump in the road, at the eighth we flew by a couple more of those lit palm trees, at the tenth the driver let off the breaks. And at the twelfth this happened:  
"Look out!" One of Brandon's guards yelled.  
Amid the silence came chaos. A speeding SUV plowed into the coach bus. Everyone on board fell victim to the shards of glasses that separated from the windowsill darting in their direction. The impact tossed its targets sitting on the right side to the left as the mangled vehicle began to tilt. The ones who had the ability to function clung on to the seats the only items not being flung about. The swerving bus made its final decision and collapsed on its side. Not a scream, nor a whimper or a sound could be heard. Just silence. Everyone was lying on top of one another like human building blocks. At the base of the mount was Brandon, eyes cringing at the potent stench of blood dripping from the brow of Kelly. Her unconscious body felt heavy and painful as he lied motionless on the piercing glass. His fingers began to function moving up and down on the rugged street. Still staring upward his left arm kept extending trying to figure out the mystery of what just occurred. His motion came to a halt when he felt a smooth cheek.  
"Brandon?" A breathy voice utter.  
A beaming ray of light reflecting off the cracked rear view mirror gave a deluded Brandon the impression that he had ascended to the sky. "Brenda?" He answered back believing the misconceptions in his mind.  
"No, Valerie." The Detective replied. She laid parallel to him swallowing clumps of air as if the atmosphere was running low on oxygen. Her life played out in moments, in little bits and pieces until she finally understood what Brandon was alluding to. "I'm sorry." She said with deep sorrow in her voice.  
"You mean, no Brenda?"   
He was heartbroken that it wasn’t his sister and was on the verge of crying when finding out that he was never going to see her again.  
"No Brandon. We're still here." Valerie had to admit. She came to realization quickly, but was still in utter disbelief of what had happened.   
"Funny I thought... I thought we were..."  
"Dead. No, we're still alive."  
"Why?" He questioned filled with remorse.  
"Just keep talking to me. We are going to be just fine. An ambulance will be here and we're going to be alright, you hear me." As she poked her head up she realized why they were both breathing irregularly. Stretched across their torsos was everybody else lying on top of them as if they were in a deep sleep. Lying face down on her chest was Steve and off to her side was Andrea. Just only an hour ago, things were all about levels, who was higher and who was lower now here they were all in the same boat fighting for their lives.  
"No, we're not going to be fine.” Brandon said.  
"Yes, we are. Just keep still and don't move. We don't want to risk the others waking."  
"Why?"  
"They might panic when they see the blood. So, stay calm."  
"Ok."  
A thought came into her head. As she tried to keep Brandon steady she wondered if this was to be her last moment and if this was the end there were secrets that she had to admit; things she simply couldn’t take to the grave. "Brandon… I'm sorry."  
"You said that already Valerie."  
"No, I'm sorry for Brenda and everything that happened. I didn't know she was gonna do that. I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you. You were always trying to help me and I never listened."   
"You were going through a lot with your father and mother."  
"Yeah… but that was no reason to make your life miserable."  
"It's ok Valerie."  
"And I'm sorry for ruining your relationship with Kelly."  
"It's ok Valerie."  
"Did I ruin it?"  
"No Valerie."  
"Will you forgive me for being me?"  
“Where is all this coming from?” The President was still in the mindset that they had reunited only a couple hours ago, and even so they weren’t truly reintroduced. He had only saw her picking up a napkin. The things that his old roommate was bringing up such as Kelly, past relationships, and incidents from college was ancient history. They carried no current significance and the reason she was reminding him of it made no sense.  
“Remember when I came to Beverly Hills?” She started up again.  
“Malone let's just wait in silence.” A hundred-question game wasn’t doing the trick, he was now in his right mind and only wished to listen in for help.  
“The reason why I became a cop… the reason why I came to the Hills… “  
“If there is something that you need to say, say it now.”  
“The reason why I came to Beverly Hills-”  
“Valerie, say it!”  
“I killed somebody.” She confessed simply, plainly and for a moment he was sure that their environment was getting to her head just like how it was getting to him a couple moments ago.  
“Daddy I’m sorry.” The Detective whimpered. “I didn’t mean to I just didn’t like what you were doing and so I had to… “  
Brandon had no idea at first as to what she what she referring to. He paused for a second and then it hit him. She couldn’t have possibly done that. His memories were running a hundred miles per second and it brought on a massive migraine.  
An annoying sound began to pound against the eardrums of Valerie and Brandon. It was faint and eerie at first but as it got closer it became clear what it was.  
"Brandon!" She yelled to the best of her ability. "The ambulance is here." The sirens could be heard getting closer and closer as the magnificent lights lit up the night.   
“Wait Val!”  
“Don’t you see the Fire Truck!” She exclaimed.  
With his one working arm Brandon reached towards her face. “Valerie who did you kill? Why did you kill them?”  
She struggled with her response. “Forget about it, ok, we’re saved everything is going to be alright now.”  
“Val, you need to tell me.”  
The other secret service car arrived, more men in black suits came to the President's rescue determine to free him from the collision. When they tried to move him out from under the bodies that were splayed across his stomach Brandon cried out, "Stop it!"  
"It's ok Sir we will have you out soon! We just need you to adjust your leg!"  
"Get them… " He muttered. He looked beside him and saw Valerie mouthing 'no.' "They go first."  
"Mr. President, it's alright, the medical team can get your friends but we need you to come out first."  
"No." He insisted. "They come out first or I don't move a muscle."  
Brandon's men let out a deep sigh not wanting to disobey their leader. "Hey let's get a team over here now!" The head of secret service commanded, he realized the sooner he got everyone else out, the sooner he could do his job. The medical staff removed every person from the bus. Brandon was placed on a stretcher being loaded into the emergency vehicle, out of the corner of his eye he could see the emergency team throwing a tarp over a body pronouncing someone dead. It introduced Brandon to the sad reality he was facing as soon as he became functional at the hospital. The last thing he heard before he shut his eyes were, 'you're a hero Mr. President.' He couldn’t believe that was said, a girl who once lived a room away from him killed somebody and he had no clue. After that he dozed off and dreamed, 'a hero? A hero for what?'


	3. Before Brenda Died

Chapter 2:   
Before Brenda Died:   
Before Brenda died I was a naive kid who was doing his best to prove that he was a man. I was trying to make my straight A’s in grade school and college count for something. Parents a year ago, had gone off to Hong Kong and I now owned the family house. I felt like a man, I was paying bills, going to work, and I wanted to top it all off by marrying my then girlfriend Kelly Taylor.  
‘This is Brenda Walsh, sorry I missed your call if you could please leave your name and number at the beep and I will be sure to get back to you.’  
In other words, she would never get back to him. That was the fifth and last time he called his sister in an attempt to get her on a plane for his wedding. He pressed the red button before it could even sound the beep frustrated that his twin wasn’t going to be there. Knowing his sister, she probably didn’t care.  
“Brenda not picking up?” Steve came in. The top of Brandon’s head was against the wall. His friend could sense the frustration, his hands were on his hips as he wobbled in one spot.   
The soon to be groom chuckled not wanting to fully give away how miserable he was. “It went to voicemail. I guess those directors in England are really keeping her busy.”  
“Well it doesn’t matter, she should be here, helping Kelly and Donna throw together this… this… funeral of man.”  
Brandon laughed, Steve always knew how to make him laugh. “Is that what the guys are calling the happiest day of my life? Well in that case I can’t wait for your funeral brother.”  
“Never, I will be sowing my wild oats well into my fifties.”  
“Is that so?”  
“Oh yeah, Steve Sanders wouldn’t be Steve Sanders married.”   
They sat on the bed in the master bedroom where Mr. and Mrs. Walsh once stayed.  
“Remember how this all began.” Steve reminisced. “Sophomores in high school, and in the first week this cornball from Minnesota had more of a rep than I did.” Brandon grinned. “And that’s when I knew I had to be his friend.”  
“Yeah… rumors floating around about me sleeping with the hottest girl in school, but you see I never slept with her all we did was make-out, got over the PA system and admitted it.”  
“Oh, I remember I was there Mr. Noble. Every jock thought that you were a complete idiot. Any man with sense would have just went along with it.”  
“Yep that idiot was me.”  
“Yes, when you first came I had just broken up with your soon to be wife, ain’t that something.”  
“It's crazy how life ends up.”  
“Crazy, but listen, you take care of Kelly or I will kill you.”  
“Yes sir.” Brandon saluted.  
“Have you heard from Dylan and Andrea yet?”  
Brandon sighed in disappointment. “I ask them and all I got were excuses. I mean I know Dylan is still mourning the death of Antonia, but I was his best man at his wedding the least he could do is attend mine. And Andrea, I was about to give her away, if her father didn't show up last minute I would have done it. It would be devastating if she doesn't show up. I’m starting to believe that they don't take my marriage seriously.”  
Steve rubbed his friend’s back seeing that this was gnawing at him. “Hopefully that's not the case. Our lives have changed so much since graduation I just hope our friendship won’t fizzle away because we don’t technically agree with who the other is marrying.”  
“Is David down stairs?” Brandon quickly switched the subject.  
“Yeah Silver is here. What about him? You know him and Donna will be there.”  
“Yes, and with that being said I believe that you two are supposed to be planning my bachelor party.”  
Steve got up to leave. “Please Bro you know with me as your best man you will have the time of your life.”  
“I'm scared.” Brandon snickered as he saw his friend of eight years run down the steps. When he was gone, he returned to his taunting thoughts. Was his not attending friends skipping his most important day on purpose?  
“You're right you know, no one takes this wedding seriously. It's either that or they just don't want you two to get married you know because of obvious reasons.”  
“Well isn't it the wind beneath my wings Valerie Malone.”  
She flashed a girlie smile as she stood in the doorway of his room. The last thing Brandon needed was her words of encouragement.  
“You know that I would never lie to you.”  
She moseyed on in with that expression of mischief that she wore so naturally. Picking up one of Kelly's perfume bottles on the dresser she sprayed a bit on her wrist, smelt it and gagged. Once she fully entered Brandon realized that there was no way that he was going to get her to leave.  
“So, I'm sure that you have evidence to prove your accusations?”  
“Well not lots, but I know that you cheated on her.” A baffled Brandon looked on her with confusion. “Don't ask me how I know, I just do.”  
“That's none of your business Val and if you're looking to use that against me Kelly already knows. We're past it.”  
He was beyond upset. Why would she bring that up? He had just wiped his conscience of the incident.  
“Calm down Brandon you’re a guy, cheating is natural. Beautiful girl walks by and you sleep with her. All it means is that I was right. You’re not in love with Kelly.”  
“Excuse me! For your information, I am madly in love with Kelly and you have no right to tell me otherwise.”  
“In fact, I do. How long have we known each other? Since we were six? I don’t say these things to spite you. I say them because you’re special to me and I don’t want you to make a mistake that you’ll later regret. Listen… “She sat him down on the bed to cool off. “I know this is weird taking marital advice from the campus slut-”  
“You’re not a slut.”  
“Listen, just because you get married doesn’t mean that all the problems that you once had just go away. Things might feel better at first but then they will come up again and when it does it's not going to be so easy to get out. You cheated on her Brandon and history shows that you will do it again.”  
Her sincerity scared him, he knew that she wasn’t telling him this to stir up drama, she deeply cared. Now the question was should he consider what she was saying and call off the wedding. The news reporter he slept with was just a one-night stand. Most likely he would never see her again. Was his relationship with Kelly on the rocks because of one little mistake?  
“I know it’s hard for you to understand this, but I love Kelly.”  
“No, you don’t.” She quickly responded. “You love her because you think that you’re supposed to.”


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

‘Being in the hospital,’ it was worse than jail. Sick people lurking around every corner like zombies, parents crying out in the hall and the cold chill in the air as people in lab coats were popping into each room. Austin’s mother, the first lady, had dropped him and his brother off in the break room where he demanded to stay until they were ready to approach their father. Word traveled quickly to Washington and before they knew it they were being pulled from their bedrooms and onto the family jet. Jamison had a million questions on the ride over not giving his older brother the opportunity to process what happened.   
“Can you sit in the corner?” Austin told his brother, handing him the IPad to assure that he wouldn’t bother him. The fourteen-year-old moseyed over to where he pointed sensing the stress that was building within his older sibling.  
Austin buried his head in his hands rubbing every part of his face out of frustration and this time he didn’t have the White House’s secret stash of liquor to console him. The boy was seven-teen years old and going on to be a senior that year. He couldn’t wait to escape. Where would he go? Anywhere, he just couldn’t stay at the White House. Jamison would miss him dearly and he hated that he would have to leave him with the two people who fought more than cats and dogs, but no more. The stress from being the President’s pretty-boy bad son had taken its toll and he had to find a place where he could be himself. Stealing another glance at his kid brother, he saw that as every minute passed he looked more and more like his dad, the glasses would be the only thing to throw off the incredible resemblance. Him on the other hand took after his mother, he had her slight caramel skin with a dash of brown in his pitch-black hair.   
Like any normal teenager, he eventually reverted to Facebook where videos of the accident were being posted on everyone’s page and on top of that text messages were popping up like crazy. ‘Are you ok?’ they kept asking and he wondered if he should answer such a dumb question. ‘How are you feeling?’ like they even cared. ‘How is dad?’ peachy-keen like always, even in a fatal accident the old man always pulls through. It was the morning of the questions that everyone asked just because they were obligated to do so not because they cared about the President’s stupid, selfish son.   
“Hey dude, are you alright?”   
Austin didn’t even pull his head up when he said, “I’m good, can I get a coke with a bag of Doritos please?” Thinking that it was one of the hospital’s employees.  
Austin and Jamison’s security patiently waited for their responses on whether to let the boy that entered stay or to ask him to leave. “Lol. Not in a rush to see daddy I take it.” Austin finally flipped his head over to find a slender blonde hair guy that appeared to be the same age as him standing from above.  
“Who the hell are you?” The President’s eldest son replied in a jaded tone.  
“Joshua Taylor and I’m guessing Mr. Sunshine you must be the infamous Austin Walsh and that must be Jamison Walsh and outside must be the service and the man sitting on the other side of the hall with his service must be the President and the smokin hot milf to his left must be the First Lady.”  
“Hey keep my mom out of your mouth, ok.” Austin perked up in defense.  
“Ahhh… you see. Now you have something else to be pissed about so you can get your mind off the craziness that is the typical teenage first boy’s… life?”  
“You are again?”  
“Joshua Taylor.”  
“Kelly Taylor’s son.”  
“You know about me?”  
“Nah not really, you just look like her, a lot. You see your mom yet?”  
Austin observed his transition from comical to woe.   
“No, waiting on my Aunt Erin to get here.”  
“She’s alright man. Everyone is ok and the only person who died was that goofy mayor. I guess the least important person on that bus so that’s a good thing.” The President’s son answered sarcastically.  
“It’s sad, ironic actually, he was the one hustling everyone to the party and he’s the one who died. You were at the ceremony?”  
“Mom made me watch the beginning of it online. It's always fun to see Beverly Hills finest in action.” Austin mocked. “I’m sorry I’m not supposed to be saying stuff like that, makes my rep worse than it already is.”  
“You’re honest, there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, if people were more like you than the world would be a much better place.”  
“Wow, if I could get my parents see that.”  
“So, your family is like mine, where everybody wants to pretend that everything is ok… “  
“But it really isn’t. Yeah.”  
“I don’t want to see her, mom.” Joshua swallowed nervously. “I could see her but I can’t see her, she won’t let me, she never does. I love her and I try to be the son she wants, it’s like, I’ll do whatever it takes to be good for her but she won’t do the same for me so she tosses me off to my Aunt, I see her once a week, we mostly sit in silence and that’s the end of that. I don’t know if this is how it works but if I run my mouth about you to the tabloids you’re free to tell the press that Kelly Taylor isn’t the great mother that everyone has made her out to be.”  
Austin smiled, his first sign of happiness since the day began. “I’m telling you parents are stupid. All the President and First Lady could say is that it’s complicated when it’s not. They want to get a divorce but because of the presidency they won’t, so me and Jamison are subjected to hearing their arguments. Everybody wants to say that money and reputation is nothing without love and family. That’s a lie if I ever heard one. My brother and I were business decisions.”   
When he had said that Jamison removed his headphones to listen in. “Because every politician must have a family, why, because it’s a good image. That’s why our mom had us, she’s a witch, she never cared for us, never held us at night. My dad is a good man who thinks that the presidency is everything, who always speaks like he’s got something to prove.”  
A light whimper could be heard, when the two older boys turned their heads, they realized that it was Jamison.   
“It’s ok.” Austin consoled him regretting his confession. “We’ll get through it.” He tried to comfort his brother.  
Joshua for a moment faded into the background as his acquaintance tended to his little sibling who had become hysterical. After Jamison calmed down Austin brought him over to where they were sitting, where both sons of the president sat in silence.  
Joshua waited for them to calm down before he could say anything else. “So, that’s what’s happening?”  
“Yeah.” Austin answered. “They told me he got into a terrible accident and I didn’t even care. My own father could have croaked today and I would have been just fine. That’s not how you’re supposed to feel about your old man.”  
A gentle knock came from the door, one of the men who was guarding it poked his head in. “Austin someone else is requesting entrance. Just thought you would like to know sir.” He alerted aware of the consequences if their words were heard by someone else.  
“Well good talk. I’m gonna let this person come inside and then I’m going to take Jamison to go see dad.”  
“Alright man,” Joshua shook his hand. “Hey let’s get together afterwards and talk about how it went. I’ll find you.”  
“Cool. Hey Phil you could let em’ in!”  
The guards fulfilled his commands and let the girl who was standing on the outside enter. She was tall and lanky wearing baggy sweats and a white T-shirt. She had a kind face that didn’t scream Beverly Hills more of the girl next door; her most stunning feature had to be her wavy kinky hair that almost touched her waistline. Both Austin and Joshua were taken by her arrival. Jamison looked on his brother’s flirtatious grin wondering why he was in such awe, she was nowhere in the same category as the supermodels he vied for yet something about her had drew him instantly. The girl ignored them on the way to the coffee machine, she took her caffeine black, carefully sipping it, she noticed not too long after that she was being watched from behind.   
“Excuse me, I thought you guys were leaving.” She rudely exclaimed.  
A conspiring smile formed between Joshua’s cheeks as he slowly sat back down to her dismay. “Um… I think I’ve changed my mind. How bout you fellas?”  
Austin pressed his hand against Jamison’s arm compelling him to sit right next to him. “We’re staying too.”  
She quickly came to realize that she had ventured into the room with raging hormones and immaturity. “Aren’t you boys supposed to be off to see the President? You know your dad?”  
“Being that we are the President’s sons we demand a little respect.” Jamison played along.   
“Ok… what do you want? I don’t even know you guys.” The girl replied aggravatingly.   
“You’re so right where are my manners. My name is Joshua Taylor, these are my White House confidants Austin and Jamison Walsh and um you are?”  
“Oh, wow the gang really is all here. I’m Hannah.”  
“Oooh…” Jamison remarked. “Continue…”  
“I don’t have time for this I have to get back to mom, so excuse me your majesties.”  
“Wait-” Joshua caught her at the exit. “Your mom is Andrea Zuckerman, the doctor. You know my mom said that your mom was the smartest girl at West Beverly High. I mean how crazy is this our parents have known each other for nearly twenty-five years and we’re just meeting each other today.”  
“Yeah, they’ve known each other for twenty-five years, they’re not good ole friends like the Mayor was saying at the podium. It’s bullcrap.” Hannah argued.   
“Really?” Austin inquired. “So, we’ve been having a little confession session, about home life do you have anything you want to get out about your mom? We’re keeping secrets.”  
“Ooooo… I should be so excited.” She said sarcastically. “I’ll let you three continue.” Hannah left the boys oohing and awing. They laughed and bumped fist as if they scored.   
“Man… “Sighed Austin. “We’ve gotta see her again.”  
“I wanna catch up with her too.” said Jamison.  
“I can’t believe that was Andrea Zuckerman’s daughter!”  
Then Austin questioned, “What’s so great about Andrea Zuckerman?”  
“You really don’t get the significance of all of us being here do you. Did your dad tell you that he’s Hannah godfather? Yeah, he was supposed to walk Andrea down the aisle. Everyone thought that her and Brandon were going to go out but it never happened.” The brother’s faces were once again stunned they never heard their father talk about any other girl but their mother. In their brief discussions, their dad never even alluded to having another relationship, he always talked about his teen years as if they were unimportant. “And isn’t it so cool that we’re hanging out. Your dad also almost married my mom. My mom use to be best friends with your Aunt Brenda and they would always go over to your grandparents’ house for holidays and stuff.”  
“Really?” Jamison then asked the question he and his brother were both thinking. “How do you know all this stuff?”  
“When mom would get drunk she would start saying all kind of stuff. For some reason, she would just start talking about the past and then she would begin to laugh to herself as if she were reliving the moments. Oh, and there’s more… “

So, here’s where the second part of this story begins. As our kids enjoy the heck out of hearing my not so perfect past I was down the hall being tortured by my not so perfect wife. By then I felt I had said ‘I’m ok’ five hundred times and because of the blank expression on my face nobody really believed me. It was sitting on a bench out in the hall that I saw everything. First to come running through the double doors where managers, secretaries, and so-called friends. They were all on their cell phones more concerned about what work wasn’t going to get done because their partner or boss was confined to a hospital bed. In between all this the cameras, the reporters and everyone who wanted to make a buck out of our misery tried to force themselves onto the floor. One desperate dude tried to climb in through the roof. The doctors jogged back and forth hopping from room to room throwing out updates to their co-workers as they passed. In all this commotion, the waiting room TV was still booming for everyone to hear the news. Apparently the man whose SUV collided with our bus vehicle lost control and the whole incident was ruled as an accident. The headlines read, “IT’S A MIRACLE!!” As groggy as I felt, I knew that me being alive was indeed a miracle. The bus was destroyed and all I had was a bandage over my shoulder. The same could be said for everyone else, from eavesdropping I heard there were bruises and burns, but nothing serious to write home about. It was almost as if this was some sign. I only wished I would’ve given that silly mayor a couple more minutes of my time being that he was the one who passed away. He didn’t mean anything to me and I was sure that I would soon forget him, and yet I was deeply saddened by his passing, the first time in a while that I put my focus on someone else. It wasn’t till an hour later that the real families started to pour into the halls frantically running up to doctors and nurses to find the rooms of their love ones. First person I saw was Jackie Taylor. Even in her older age she looked amazing. She only gave me a quick glance before she went searching for Kelly. 

“Honey. Are you ok? How was the night? I would’ve been here sooner… Oh my god when they told me I thought someone was attacking the country. I don’t know why but I automatically assumed the worst had happened. They told me you were a hero.” Charlotte went on. “Oh, baby that is so good, absolutely brilliant. Once the press finds out about this we are sure to win the second term. Maybe…” Her eyes widen as a lightbulb appeared above her head. “Maybe… we can get some of your friends to say a couple good things to the media and on our campaign, since you guys were close. I’ll get flowers, donuts, coffee and we’ll put it in each of their rooms and tomorrow we’ll let them know.”

Like I said Charlotte was holding on to me and I didn’t start paying attention until she said that one thing that really pissed me off.

“Mmmh interesting.” Brandon’s right eyebrow escalated. “So, you want me to bribe them so they could speak on my behalf for the future campaign?”  
“Well, they’re your friends they should want to say things about you and on top of that you saved their lives. In fact, the moment they’re up and running they should be groveling at your feet.”  
“You really don’t get it do you.” He chuckled wryly. “These guys they’re not my friends. We haven't been friends since college.”  
“You still saved their lives.” She said with a sense of obviousness.   
“Huh, you’ve just been eating up the media’s story. I didn’t save them. I simply did what any other human being would have done in that moment. I knew that I was alive and breathing and I wanted the same for everyone else. I just told the medical team to get them off me. I’m no hero. Now stop with your sick antics and leave me be.”  
“Excuse me.” She crossed her arms in defense. “Listen here buddy I am trying to help you. I’m trying to be about you and even though my life revolves around furthering you, like always you never appreciate my sacrifice.”  
“Put on a smile Charlotte there are cameras trying to get into this place, we have to look like we’re happy you know.”  
She took note of that placing her palms on his knuckles. “Why are you doing this? Why can’t we be on the same side?”  
Brandon angrily whispered. “Charlotte we’re not in some competition, we’re not campaigning, and this is not about teams or sides. A man died and all these people that I use to know are in the hospital. I could have died, or do you even care?”   
“Don’t give me that bullcrap. You’re all about winning, getting ahead, that’s all this marriage is about. I get that this whole thing has scrambled your brains Brandon Walsh so I’ll be happy to give you a little refresher, you don’t care about anyone; the only reason why you came here is to get cocky.”  
Having been reminded of his behavior and intentions left him speechless and remorseful. Was that really what he said? It all seemed to be wicked now, like he had come to the banquet to ruin what was already in ruins. He suddenly remembered what Valerie had admitted to him, she said she had killed someone. How panic stricken she must be? And if Valerie was harboring such a secret what was everyone else hiding.  
“Yes, a man did die. We’ll go to his funeral, you’ll say a couple of words and then we’ll move on with our lives.” Charlotte continued.  
Brandon hadn’t until this moment noticed the ugliness which was his wife. “How could you be so heartless? So, cold?”  
“Well I learned from the best. Just a couple days ago, you were the same. Isn’t that why we got married? I have the nice dark brown hair, the body and the wit that America just loves and plus I’m from Hispanic descent so there goes another point on the board because that’s all you care about, keeping score. When we met at the University of Washington, that is what I fell in love with, now I’m not so sure.” Charlotte whispered in Brandon’s ear.   
“That’s it. Where are my kids?”  
“They’re in the break room hiding from you. That must hurt, huh, they don’t like you and they don’t want to be near you Mr. Family Man.”  
“You’re a total bitch.”  
“What? You wish you never married me? Well, Brandon Walsh I would love to see you sign those papers because once I’m gone audios to second term.”  
“Like you said, honey, you’re just a pretty face, there are a million more like you…”  
Treading down the hall was Austin and Jamison after saying their goodbyes to Joshua who had gone off to meet up with his Aunt Erin. They rehearsed on what would be the proper way to open the conversation with their father since they hadn’t got the opportunity to do it in a while. Maybe the turmoil of yesterday was exactly what their family needed. Austin trembled in disgust realizing that his brother’s undying hope was rubbing off on him. The service pointed to Brandon and Charlotte who were still engaging in what the boys had come to know as their well-mannered arguments. He paused in his tracks causing Jamison to do the same. His dad’s passive smile and his mom’s clenched hands told the story like a novel. They had fallen on a disagreement that lead their mother to belittling her husband’s manhood which lead their father to insulting his wife’s intelligence. Jamison had also memorized the signs and was deeply sadden to the point of depression, Austin was worse having already gone numb to it all. At their stand-still Brandon recognized his kids and the grief in their eyes. He struggled to his feet as Austin threw up his hand telling his dad not to come any further. He then took his younger brother under his arm and started walking the other way. In defeat Brandon squatted slowly onto the bench with Charlotte looking towards him with not the slightest bit of shame. Her wicked stare and the image of his son’s turning from him on replay was enough for his dismal mood to slip into suicidal thoughts. ‘What if dying in the bus would have made it easier? Would it have been the get out of jail free card that I’ve been asking for? I could have finally saw Brenda, my kids didn’t even care if I was ok, I guess nobody really cares do they.’ He caught himself recognizing the dangers of letting that kind of thinking progress. He had to remove himself from this spot or it would only make things worse. “Aren’t they so lucky to have us as parents?” He sarcastically remarked before leaving.

I went to change out of my hospital clothes in my room not being able to comprehend why the look on my boys’ faces had me jittering like druggie going insane from withdrawal. I guess it was because I was coming to terms with the fact that I might lose them as well. I got the scariest vision of walking pass their rooms to find that they’ve packed their things and left. Now Austin wasn’t graduating till May and there was no need to linger on an idea like that, not with all that was going on, there was no room for it. The craziest thing was while I was moseying on down the hall I could see it being a reality. You see Austin is me. When his mind is set to do something, he isn’t going to let anyone or anything hinder it. If me and his mother didn’t stop our quarreling it was possible that he could slip out with his little brother. And it probably all sounds crazy to a person who believes that the White House is a fortress that would take years of undercover spy work to escape, when really my kid is smart enough and if he wanted to leave he could. I knew if I were him I would leave. They would be awesome on their own and I knew they would make life happen. It was me that I was worried about because after they go I would be held captive by the presidency.   
I began to walk and I came to a standstill when I heard voices that sounded vaguely familiar. When I was about to turn the corner to where they were I paused. A man was angrily arguing with his wife in a manner that was discrete and wouldn't draw attention. A second later I detected who the man was. It was Jesse Velazquez, Andrea’s husband. There were so many reasons why hearing them go at it made my insides turn, mainly having to do with the way that Jesse was talking to Andrea like the way Charlotte was talking to me. He made her cry when he said that Hannah never wanted to talk to her and that he should have full custody of their two youngest children. It was disgusting, I had heard it enough to know that no parent deserved to be told that.   
“I am a good mother. I am a good mother. I would do anything for my children and you, the court or whoever will never take them away from me.” Andrea cried, she had relieved herself of the hospital wear as well as she transitioned from one tragedy to the next. Jesse had been drinking again and when he was drunk he was brutally honest, he loved seeing the way she cringed when he uttered the word ‘divorce.’  
Her husband walked in a little closer causing her skin to crawl with fear. “Ms. Surgeon I hope you like the high life because me and the kids are leaving.”  
“You are not authorized to do so, you’re just saying those things to scare me.”  
“No Andrea, this is really happening, if it’s the last thing I do.” For a second she believed him and busted out into quiet tears again.  
Brandon had to peek around the corner to make sure that this was the man who first showed up at his parent’s anniversary party. After twenty years Jesse was slimmer than usual and was balding at the top, but it was him. Once upon a time he was the kindest gentlemen around, so much so that as Andrea’s closest friend he didn’t hesitate to endorse him and was willing to walk her down the aisle. He caught a vision of Andrea cradling his godchild in her arms. Only a monster would threaten to take a mother away from her children.  
“Excuse me.” Brandon appeared on the scene with a quiet vengeance.   
“Brandon, mah man Mr. Prez.” Jesse’s persona transformed immediately. “Listen um… we’ve been taking this thing very rough. If you can come back in a couple hours, we’ll be situated.”  
“No thank you Mr. Velasquez I’ll be staying right here.” He said dryly when the verbally abusive husband tried to appease him.  
“Look man it’s not what you think.”  
“Man? It’s Mr. President to you.” Brandon turned his attention to Andrea. She appeared to be more embarrassed than vulnerable. “Would you like to take a walk?” He asked feeling that it was the most appropriate response to the awkward silence that had occurred after.   
She was taken by his kind gesture, soon saying ‘Yes’ when she felt she didn’t have much of a choice. The thought of being around her crazed husband compelled her to take the hand of the now stranger. He ushered her away as the secret service followed just a couple steps behind. Minutes later it hit her that she was with the President of the United States. She had gotten close at the party, but here he was the most powerful man in the universe walking beside her.   
When they were out of Jesse’s sight Andrea relaxed a little. She could tell that they were both struggling on a proper way to start a conversation. As soon as they got to the end of the hall they were walking she decided to say the first thing that came to mind. “I’m sorry you had to be a part of that.” She carefully wiped away the tears that were forming in her eyes. “This has been very hard for us.”  
Sternly, he said what she needed to here. “He shouldn’t be treating you like that.”  
“I’m fine. He’s fine. It’s just, it’s just that this has been hard for all of us-”  
“He shouldn’t be treating you like that.” He replied cancelling any excuse she would concoct on his behalf.  
“So how have you been doing?” Ignoring all that he was implying she moved on.  
“Fine.” He lied. “I think I saw your kids walk in earlier.”  
“Yeah… they went to my parent’s house.”  
“Huh. I wish I had a place to send my family.”  
She let out a deep breath of guilt feeling that she reminded the President that he had no mom and dad to call on. “Yes. The last thing I needed was for them to be around all these crazy hurt dying people. It’s just too much. They shouldn’t have to deal with their mentally and physically distressed mother right now.” She said trying to recover.  
“I’m happy that you’re alright.”  
She paused in her steps, and he did the same. “Does this feel weird to you?”  
“Very.” He answered honestly.  
“Alright, let’s start over. I’m Andrea Zuckerman.” She started. “Which story would you like to cover the toxic waste disposal in our chemistry class or the girls water polo match against Beverly High?”  
A bright smile stretched across his face as he was brought back to how they met. Seeing him light up had caused her to express the same kind of giddy happiness. “Wow you are intense.” He answered in the way he did on the first day of sophomore year.  
“The very first male reporter to pass my test.”  
“Did I? You know I really wanted to see those water polo girls in their swimsuits, but instead I spent half of lunch trying to pry answers out of the janitor.”  
“You mean custodial engineer.”  
“Right, right, always the big words with you and the issues.”  
“Yes, the issues. Something Mr. Walsh that you have not quite mastered. I was watching your flowery speech at the Democratic convention and I must admit that I was very disappointed. Instead of going into more details about the destruction of the middle east and our economic turmoil you fed into the pandering crowd and offered up an hour of witty slogans.”  
He broke out laughing.  
“This is not a joke, you really need to approach congress and figure out a way on how to improve the middle class or the United States will collapse under its own weight.”  
“Alright, alright, I am convinced, you’re hired.”  
“No… have you forgot I’m a middle age mother, there are more pressing matters now that will implode if I do not address.”  
“Yeah, family, it seems to be more difficult than any job. They say that by the end of a four-year term that my hairline will start receding as the bags under my eyes drag down to my cheeks. The way I see it is if Washington doesn’t kill me my two teenage boys will.”  
“Please, ten bucks says that my life is worse than yours.”  
“No Andrea we’re not in high school anymore… let’s make it fifty.”  
“You got it.”   
He draped his arm around her shoulder leading her to a secluded corner where they could converse privately. The service gave them just the right amount of space so they could talk.  
Andrea started. “So, you saw what happened back there, I think it all speaks for itself. Jesse has changed, a lot. When we first met, he was a man of such vision and such drive, and then came that one bad case and everything has been downhill since. We had moments that were bad, but it was when I took over the finances entirely that he started to truly resent me. Suddenly, I didn't have a partner, I had an enemy. I’m afraid to bring my troubles to him because I know when he gets drunk that he’ll use it against me. My only source of comfort these days is a diary. I’ve become that mom. The pathetic mom who lies awake to watch the Twilight series and tries on her daughter’s clothes just because she’s not satisfied with her life.”  
There was still a lot of traffic where they were and Brandon sense that this discussion would get deep. He couldn’t risk anyone hearing of their admission. “Here, come let’s go to a break room.” He took her by the hand and escorted her to a hospital lounge a few steps away. Hardly no one was there, the only people that were present was the service and they did what they did best and blended into the background.  
“Good idea.” Andrea gave him the thumbs up. “I wouldn’t want to risk Jesse overhearing and you definitely have to be careful.”  
“Yeah… with this job you can never be too cautious.”   
They both sat in the available armchairs.   
“So, you were talking about Jesse.” Brandon started up again. “You’ve got to end it. I’m sorry that I convinced you that it was better to stay married. It was wrong for me to guilt you into staying with him in college.”  
“You don’t get it do you. I don’t want to leave him. Divorce is a sign of giving up. I want all of my family under the same roof, together.”  
“Andrea I just heard this man threaten to take your kids away. No guy in his right mind tells his wife that he’ll take away her children, and for no reason. You said it, he’s against you. He’s a loser who’s taking out his frustration on you because he can’t help the fact that he failed.”  
“He’s not a loser-”  
“For Christ sake stop defending him.”  
“And what about Katie and Christopher… “She rebelled. “What about them, huh? Chris is seven and Kate’s five. I thought having two more kids at the last second would make him remember that we were in love and it did for a while. My point is that they are still rooting for us and praying that we make it. You don’t know how many times Kate has told me that she wanted to be a Disney princess and fall in love like mommy and daddy.”  
“Andrea she’s going to find out that’s not always the case whether you get divorced or not. Whether it be the boy that stands her up on her first date or the deuce who just asks her to prom to sleep with her.”  
She let out a sigh resting her hand on her forehead. “You just don’t understand.”  
“Why wouldn’t I understand? You’re not in this alone now Andrea. I have a wife and two kids and I’m still trying to figure this whole thing out. When did you have Hannah? Sophomore year in college, then you got married months after that. I know you’ve been grown-up longer but that doesn’t mean I know less.”  
“At first it was scary, new and exciting, Hannah was so small. You think it was tough changing the diapers and responding to the cries in the middle of the night, but then you realize a decade later that it’s when they develop their own brain that things really become hard. I can’t have a sensible discussion about school without it being blown out of proportion.”  
“You’re telling me. Right before I met up with you me and Charlotte were arguing as well. We were arguing and that’s when Austin and Jamison came down the hall and they looked at us with such pain and I tried to go up and make things better but they walked away before I could.”  
“They won’t talk to you either.”  
“It’s worse, I can’t talk to them. I know what they want most in the world, and I can’t give it to them so I stopped trying.”  
“Things are bad between you and Charlotte, aren’t they?”  
“Oh, it was always bad, it’s just now we’re really starting to feel the effects of it.” He picked her hands up from her side. “That’s why I’m begging you to do what I can’t and tell Jesse to get lost.”  
Andrea let out a sigh in disbelief when she finally got a glimpse of the end of the tunnel and this time it wasn’t the picture-perfect family that she dreamt of, she instead saw her starting over and for a second being single was ok. “I wish a lot of days that we could go back to after graduation when we were standing under that Hollywood sign that said ‘W Bev Hi' 93.’ Being grown-up--sucks.”  
“I couldn’t say it better myself. I think the hardest aspect of life to grasp is that you can’t go back no matter how much you want to.”  
Then came the silence from before, this one being more natural than anything, they sat there smiling at each other.  
“Why haven’t you called?” She inquired.  
“Why haven’t you called me?”  
“You’re the President of the United States. What am I supposed to do? Ring you on your cell.”  
He stared at her quirky grin and into those dark green eyes, in them he felt warmth and comfort. There was no pressure, expectation, or hidden agenda. The titles of the world had been dropped and reputations had been cast down. She was Andrea Zuckerman, the chief, the one who kept him in line and wasn’t afraid to let him have it and he was just Brandon Walsh, an ordinary boy that he had missed dearly.  
“I’m sorry.” He answered.  
Andrea observed how his stance had changed he wasn’t sitting upright against the chair like he was at one of his conferences, his shoulders fell and he turned into a sad puppy who wanted forgiveness. A smile pierced her cheek at the sight of his sincerity.  
Impulsively, Brandon’s hand went in to wipe the one strand of hair hovering above her eye to the side before leaning in and gently caressing her with a kiss on the forehead. Andrea let herself fall for all of two seconds then she put their intimate moment to a halt by pushing back his shoulders. “Brandon what are you doing?” She said vexed.   
“I gave you a kiss, not on the lips.”  
“And that’s all right? Damn you Brandon.”   
He got up and swung her into his arms when she attempted to leave. “What is your problem? It was a friendly kiss… on the forehead.”  
“Don’t play stupid you know it wasn’t just a kiss.” She retaliated. “You know what I can’t handle this right now, where’s Jesse?” She aggressively brushed passed not really knowing what to do next. He tugged on her T-shirt like a child insisting that they talk about what just happened.  
“I can’t believe you’re going to walk away like this because I pecked you on your face. Is there something that I’m missing here?” He perched his fist up on his side in aggravation at what he perceived to be an unnecessary melt down.  
Andrea paced to the opposite corner then circled back to him knowing that she had to address him sternly. “Why do you do that?” She held onto her tears, not being able to prevent the cracks in her voice.  
“You’re my friend so I kissed you.”   
“The last time I checked a friend doesn’t kiss a friend. And by the way we’re not acquaintances let alone friends Brandon Walsh I barely know you.”   
“What?”  
“Don’t ‘what’ me? We haven’t spoken in years, we don’t know each other anymore, so don’t go around kissing me and thinking that it's ok.”   
Brandon had to pause and calm himself before he delivered his response. The fierceness in her eyes sadden him as of that moment feeling that he couldn’t do anything right. He made sure to smooth his words in dire need for everything to return to the way it was a few minutes ago. “Yes. I haven’t called you, I haven’t been there, I don’t know what's going on in your life and I was hoping that we could change that.”  
“Change that into what?”  
“I’m not following.” He lied trying to avoid being caught in his fatal weakness.   
“I know you’re a politician and deceit is probably your game but you can’t hide the truth from me. I know you so well-”  
“Wait, I thought we didn’t know each other.” He interrupted obnoxiously.  
“Oh shut-up! I know what the change in your tone means and I even know the different definitions of your affection, that, what you just did reminded me of that summer when you went in and kissed me only because you couldn’t stand that I was with someone else. You only want me when it’s convenient for you.”  
“Andrea please.” He uttered in offense. “You think kissing you is convenient right now. I’m the President of the United States, my kids hate me, I’m a married man, kissing you is far from convenient. And if this is all dwindling down to why we never happened it’s because of crap like this. The same thing, I’m wanting to be close to you and you keep pushing me away so I move on.”  
“And that’s it.” She threw up her hands pointing out his last three words. “You move on. After Brandon Girl number eight I gave up. You are a freakin’ womanizer if I ever saw one, you seduce them, you sleep with them, your break-up with them and onto the next girl in line.”  
“So, I love being in love, and it often doesn’t work hint my current predicament. I don’t want to be here if you’re just going to be like every other person pointing their finger at me like they did when Brenda committed suicide.” It took his breath from him to put suicide and Brenda in a sentence yet he knew he had to keep going. “I’m not perfect. I’m human. I make mistakes.”  
“Brandon, we didn’t call you perfect because you were flawless, of course, nobody is. Brandon, can’t you see…” Her tone softened with the opening of her coming sentence. “You were the best of us not only because you were a friend but because we all knew you would be there. You ooze success, anything you sought after you got, the world could deny you nothing. And to bring everything back on subject that’s the reason I denied your request. Maybe I missed out on a great opportunity and maybe things would have been different if I capitalized on my feelings for you. I wanted to be fought for Brandon. I wanted you to work for me, to pull me in, not just have me because you could. Dumb reason, right, for missing a chance with the most popular guy at West Beverly but back then it meant the world to me and instead of doing that you went on to the next supermodel who walked through the door.”  
Hearing this for the first-time Brandon started rethinking the moments they spent together and he wondered why he didn’t try harder. He remembered homecoming, Brenda’s date had got a room in the hotel hoping that their simple flirtation would go all the way. To her date’s disappointment, it never happened and he ended up dropping the room key off to Andrea and him who had attended as friends. They didn’t want to pass up a free room so they went in despite them being only platonic. A movie didn’t sound right, room service would have been a waste so they both reclined on the bed and talked. Brandon joked about sex secretly thinking what if. It was the same ‘what if’ now. “Andrea,” he lifted her right hand towards his chest. “You’re right, when aren’t you right. Just to let you know my intention wasn’t ever to make you feel any less attractive than you already are.”  
“I know.” She said.  
“I’m sorry if I couldn’t be what I should’ve been and I’m sorry that I tend to take advantage of you. I do wish we would have given it a shot. You’re smart, ambitious, and extremely beautiful. Probably too good for me now that I think about it.”  
A slight grin began to form as her cheeks reddened with delight. Nervously her eyes shifted when she saw that he noticed. Brandon beamed with happiness he could almost feel the excitement stirring within her and it allowed him to feel the same. He could almost sense that someone was watching but he didn’t care. When would there be another moment like this? While they stood in that supposedly deserted opened room his hands clasped on to her waist pulling her near. The butterflies that had been absent for so many years returned as their lips lightly touched the others. Once they felt each other they refused to stop and they went in again. He tugged at her bottom lip and she almost fell. The world in which they lived had disappeared and who would bring them down from their cloud? A loud ‘eh hum’ came from one of Brandon’s servicemen when he saw that things were going a little too far. If it wasn’t him to stop it then the ringing of their phones would have. Andrea’s cell sounded, then Brandon’s, both calls were for different reasons and even though the last thing that they wanted to do was stop they answered and then dispersed their separate ways wanting to forget what happened but at the same time wanting to always remember. 

“Ms. Taylor, Ms. Taylor, Ms. Taylor.” The nurse said in a calming voice as she saw Kelly’s eyes trying to break open. She wanted her to be the first person she saw so they could properly assess her current condition.  
Kelly asked the typical question of ‘where am I?’ and Nurse Hatchet followed by saying ‘in the hospital’ before briefly reminding her of the bus she was on. It didn’t take long for the forty-year-old model to piece together what had happened. She sat up lazily, not one bone in her body broken though every part was aching.  
“Are you alright Ms. Taylor?”  
“Yes, just a little sore.” She leaned back in agitation not believing that she was in the hospital again. The trip for Kelly was Deja-vu more than anything else. There was a reason why no one could stand the sights of a hospital, it was never a place that bared good news. She personally had been the victim lying in the stretcher more than a couple of times. In her head, she rehearsed all that would happen next. The doctor would come in, then there would be paperwork, then they would ask her to stay overnight and she would spend endless hours biting veggie crackers and staring at the ceiling.  
She recollected one of her worse experiences. In college, Steve Sanders threw a massive party at an abandon house with faulty wiring. His friend Griffin at the time tampered with the electricity and set the house ablaze. Kelly was in the restroom and didn’t notice that the flames were approaching until she smelled the smoke. Everyone was already on the outside and she was trapped in the bathroom with a girl named Allison. The next day she was in the hospital with third degree burns and Allison was in critical condition. She thought again and realized that that wasn’t the worse. Her and the gang had taken a trip to Hawaii, they had just arrived late at night when a drive by shooter road by and shot her in the torso. Back in the hospital she had no recollection of the past several months. Who could forget the night she got raped? It was when she was on her way to pick up Dylan and a maniac snuck up from behind and forced her into an ally. After the damage had been done she ended up back in the hospital. Later, her attacker would appear in the clothing store where she worked because he was being represented by her then lawyer boyfriend who worked upstairs. The strange calamities, the near-death accidents were valid indications that she was in Beverly Hills, where the fun never ended.  
“Your family’s here Ms. Taylor.” The nurse informed. She prayed to God hoping that it wasn’t Mel and Jackie. Her mom and step-father would burst in with a readied lecture, something that she couldn’t deal with now. Instead a blonde haired eighteen-year-old boy jogged in with worry imprinted on his face.  
“Mom.” He muttered. He embraced her planting a kiss on her forehead. Joshua hadn’t seen his mother since his Aunt Erin concocted some lie on why she couldn’t see him anymore.  
“Josh, you really shouldn’t be here I’m fine.”  
“You’re my mom, I have no choice but to be here for you. When Aunt Erin told me the news I was so scared. She told me someone died and naturally I thought it was you. Oh mom…” He laid his head on her lap. “I was so scared.”  
“Well there’s no need to be.” She smiled slipping her fingers through his hair. “It was a long morning but I have this strange ability of just getting myself out of tough spots.”  
Shortly after her younger sister Erin Silver popped in looking to be stressed. She wore a black cap sporting the tomboy look. She raced to hug her sister, then sat down on the opposite side of Joshua. “How are you babe? I came in earlier and you were knocked out.”  
“Luckily I was just knocked out. Why are you sweating Erin?” Kelly questioned.  
“I went out to get something to eat, I came back and it was like hell trying to get in here. You guys are some extremely popular people I tell you.”  
“Where’s mom and dad?” asked Kelly.  
“They went home, said they were coming again later. Until then, it’s just you and me big sis. Since the parents are gone you could tell me all about sex, money, alcohol and other drugs.”  
“Erin… not in front of my son. When I handed you my pride and joy you said you were going to behave.”  
“She has mom.”   
His phone started to ring. “Uncle David… Hey I’m going to take this outside and I’ll be right back.”  
“Ok… well… be careful.” She bellowed as he walked out.  
“I’m sure I’ll be fine, just answering the phone.”  
Kelly stared blankly at the door for a couple seconds hating that she felt emotionally awkward being around her own son.  
“I don’t know how we did it but we’re raising one awesome kid.” Erin pointed out. “I can’t get him to skip a class not even drink a glass of wine for the New Years. You would swear he’s perfect.”  
“Still playing baseball?”  
“Captain of the team. By the looks of his grades he’s going to be valedictorian. I mean incredible.”  
“He doesn’t think badly of me?”  
“Not even a little. With every success, he thanks his mom.”  
“I wish I could do more for him.”  
“Then why can’t you. I’ve done everything that you asked of me and you can’t seem to give me the one thing that I want and that’s an explanation. Nobody knows what’s up with you. You’re starting to scare me.” Her sister avoided eye contact with her. Sorrow swept across her face and Erin knew who she was thinking of. “What did Percy do this time?”  
Kelly remained silent, when she sensed an argument arising.   
“I thought you washed your hands of that freak.”  
“He took care of me when nobody else would.”  
“You know that isn’t true, the reason why nobody else would because you refused to ask. I’m your sister Kelly, I am your confidant, your best friend if you need it.”  
“I don’t want to fight.”  
“I don’t care! Kelly Taylor I am tired of seeing you in a hospital bed! If you keep hanging out with Percy you’ll be here again, and who knows if you’re lucky you won’t wake up!”  
“Shut-up Erin.” Kelly demanded sternly. “I’m tired of everyone judging Percy when they don’t even know him.”  
“You don’t have to know him, he is the most crooked man in New York and if you keep entertaining him and his company he’ll get you killed.”  
Erin walked out of the hospital room refusing to hear anymore of her sister’s excuses. It was becoming less sad and more pathetic. After she was gone Kelly wondered if anyone considered that this was what she wanted. That not waking up was more of a gift than a tragedy. What if Percy was not a curse but a prayer answered? Had they ever considered that?

As Val paced outside of her room she dreamt with her eyes wide open about the day she pulled the trigger. Not the trigger that was used to kill villainous men, and countless other crooks. It was her first kill that haunted her and every time she was standing with her gun up she would remember the day she had murdered an innocent all the while covering it up. This secret for the longest was only known by her and when she rose from the bed a couple hours earlier she realized that it was now also known by the most powerful man in the world. With a snap of a finger he could have her shipped off to prison and have all her good works be put on trial. Maybe he forgot, maybe not. She rocked in her seat feeling guilty. Then she thought, why? Innocent? No. He deserved it. He deserved her wrath. He deserved to be killed. She began to think that maybe she wanted to see the inside of a cell because she wanted to avenge the real victim in that bout, the kind and innocent girl that use to be her. She shed a tear on behalf, didn’t matter how many times she saved and helped others she would never be able to get her back.   
She saw the doctor approaching, she stood to greet him. “Hi, Dr. Leo-”  
“What are you doing out here?” He cut in before she could say anything more. “Let’s go in your room, you’re doing extremely well but you still need to rest.”  
“Thanks… “She stuttered nervously. “I will rest, I just wanted to know when I will be able to go.”  
“You wanna leave me already?”  
“No, no, you’ve been a great doctor.” She played along with him. “I’m just very homesick.”  
“I understand. Like I said you’re coming along great and we should have you out by next week. Is that ok with you?”  
“That’ll be great thank you again.” He went around the corner leaving Valerie to her thoughts. She was so consumed with them that she hadn’t notice a slender pale man limping towards her. It was Dylan. Stopping and staring he finally caught her eye. Something about the encountered scared her, he stared and stared and didn’t move until he was called away.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
It was like Dylan knew something that we didn’t. A week later, I remembered being cleared to go, everyone at Washington was preparing the White House for my arrival, all I had to do was go over. And I guess this happens to everyone, your bags are packed for the flight, you’re fully dressed, ready to leave the hospital when a freak storm strikes the area, you know the ones that won’t let you go past the revolving door. I was stuck at the hospital with everyone else; I sat near the entrance thinking that as soon as the rain comes to a drizzle I’m gonna call for the car, but the rain kept going as if its goal was to prevent me from leaving that spot.   
I stayed there watching plump droplets slide down the glass, it reminded me of the time I was overcome by an anxiety attack. Brenda died that week and life had taken a turn for the worst, I’m talking about I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, laid on the couch for days and one night this sweltering heat came over me and I ended up in the emergency room. I had the last words that my father said to me pounding in my head, and as I predicted that was what caused me to faint. When that was happening, my parents were on their way back to Hong Kong that evening. They were supposed to arrive around ten o’clock. I remember that time specifically because I was looking forward to making amends, it seemed to be the right thing to do with everything that was going on. I would never get to say that apology because their plane would go down; technical failures and then I was the only one left. If my memory served me correctly I was sitting in the exact same spot and just like then I felt as if I was going to explode.   
‘I have to get out of here,’ I thought, ‘I can’t stay here.’ I tried to contact Air Force 1 to see if my pilot was ready for takeoff, but he refused to go in the storm. I tried to get them to take me to a hotel; couldn’t do that either.  
“What do I have to do to get out of here?!” Brandon revolted. His security could only stare at him blankly as he carried on his temper tantrum. Marching down the hall out of frustration he wished he would have just checked out early. Marching turned into walking as his sanity returned. On his way back round to the entrance he spotted a boy, about the age of Austin. Joshua, the name came to mind. Brandon faced him in wonder, the teen stole his mother’s pretty face, and her radiant blonde hair. Brandon watched on as he leaned out of his seat staring off into space, like if something was troubling him. He was over Kelly, no doubt, and strangely even in his certainty he pondered ‘what if.’ This was the son of the woman he once fell head over heels for, the son of the woman he was supposed to ride off into the sunset with, he laughed to himself, if things were any different he would have been his son.  
“You Joshua Taylor?” Brandon walked up to him and introduced himself.   
Joshua jumped, how ironic, the President just so happened to be on his mind.   
“Crazy weather…” Brandon looked to the window, before taking the seat right next him.  
“Yeah, yeah, yeah… “The boy said hoping that his awkward response would drive him away.   
“I use to live here you know and I’ve never seen anything like this. Stuck here, can’t believe it… Do you know who I am?” Brandon asked.  
“Of course, you’re the President.”   
“I mean beside that, has your mom ever spoken about me?”   
“She said that you guys use to be friends and stuff.”  
“How is she doing?”  
“Better, she’s been up and about for a while.”  
“I mean like home life.”  
What was he trying to get at? Joshua had not the slightest clue. He was obviously peeved at his short responses, but did he expect him to spill the beans on the day they had officially met. “I haven’t been living with her lately-”  
“Then who have you been staying with?”  
“Aunt Erin.”  
“Erin… “Brandon smiled. “I remember when she was born, all grown-up I presume.”  
“Of course.”  
“If you don’t mind me asking… “He leaned in. “How come you don’t live with your mom?”  
“She’s been busy with the new magazine.” He answered quickly. “She needed to focus on getting that off and I agreed to giving her some space.”  
“Right… “Brandon answered knowing that that was the sugar coated answer. “How old are you?”  
“Eighteen.”  
“Wow… A year older than Austin.”  
The tapping of heels caused Brandon to look up. It was Kelly, fully dressed in business apparel. She waved at his service members than planted a kiss on his cheeks. She then went to Joshua urging him to rise from his seat.  
“Go say hi to your grandparents.” Said Kelly. He didn’t need to hear those instructions twice, now that his mom had come into the picture, it could only get stranger.  
“He seems like a nice kid.” Brandon commented as Kelly took her son’s chair. “Where did he come from?”  
Her expression immediately switch to revulsion. “Ever heard of childbirth?”   
Brandon simply smiled. “You know what I mean, who’s Joshua’s father?”  
“And why do you need know?”  
“Don’t drag this out any longer than it needs to be.”  
“Listen I don’t want you near my son, you cynical bastard!”  
“I’m trying to look out for you. He told me he doesn’t live with you. Why?”  
“Get over it.” She told him and there was no need to define what ‘it’ was. Ever since Brenda’s funeral they were in bad standings.  
“Never, because I know that somehow you’re weaved into what happened.”  
“Oh, here we go.” Her calm demeanor gave way to a searing anger. “Nobody was in the room when she did it; no one told her to do anything. What happened to Brenda was because of Brenda.”  
“Go to hell.” He uttered under his breath.  
“How bout you go instead.”   
Steve emerged from behind the wall, his hand in a bandage. “Joshua is none of your concern so why don’t you leave her alone.”  
“I was talking to Kelly.”  
“No.” Brandon’s former fiancé rose from her seat. “Kelly is leaving.”  
It was then that the tension escalated, the President couldn’t ignore the presence of the millionaire even if he wanted. “What are you gonna do Steve? You come over here, barging in, white knight, like I’m not untouchable.”  
“Well, let’s have a little show and tell, shall we?” Steve sat to the small table and pulled out his phone and without further ado he played a clip that was poorly shot from behind a wall. The footage was predominantly blurred yet was clear enough to see Andrea and Brandon kissing earlier that week.   
The President was frozen and Kelly oversaw in shock.  
“Now ask me that question again?” A conniving smile stretched across Steve’s face.  
“So, what you gonna do with that Sanders? Blackmail me?”  
“That’s one option, but honestly I’m still in the thinking process. To be truthful, it gives me great joy just to let you know I have it.”  
“You son of a-”  
“No, no, no, we’re going to be watching our mouth these days Mr. President.”  
Brandon did the only thing he could, he stood up and walked away, infuriated but mostly afraid. He was already in bad standings with his sons, and if a tape like that was released the media would have a field day and end any chance of them stitching things together. Not to mention that the White House would be in a frenzy, and then he would have to address his actions.  
“So, what are you actually planning on doing with that?” Kelly said when she saw that Brandon was out of listening distance. “Are you really going to sell that to the media?”  
“I don’t know.”  
“If you do the White House is going to get a whole lot of uncomfortable.” She came beside him to watch the clip again. “I can’t believe it; this little affair is way overdue. Talk about a blast from tenth grade year. What would possess them to want to start this back up again?”  
Steve slipped his phone in his pocket. “When I came down that hall I heard them talking a little bit about Jesse being a lousy husband and Charlotte being a bad wife. You know the things that you predicted was happening but when I was hearing it it was confirmed.”  
“Oh, how typical. Bonding over the broken marriage. Hold that close, you don’t know what kind of people he has at his disposal, he could easily take it from you and then I’m sure once he has it, he would love to bury you.”  
“Don’t worry I have that covered.”  
“Thanks for coming to my rescue.”  
“No problem my lady.” He chuckled.


	6. Before Brenda Died

Chapter 5: Before Brenda Died  
“So, what are you doing at the fair?” Dylan asked Andrea dazed by the lights on the carousel. She played around with the cotton candy in her hand and wondered how she could be in her late forties and twenty-one at the same time.  
“Are you ok?” Dylan asked and she answered with a light hum. “You seem distracted.”  
“I’m happy Brandon and Kelly didn’t get married.” She admitted.  
Taken by her response, he said. “You’re telling me? I literally came running down here to tell them not to get married or to tell them to get a divorce.”  
“Under what circumstance?”  
“Under the circumstance that I love Kelly, and I know that now. After breaking up with Brenda for the third time and spending a year on my own I now know that she’s the one that I always wanted to be with, she was just marrying Brandon-”  
“Out of obligation.” She finished his sentence.  
“So, you understand?”  
“I know Brandon. He does things because he’s trying to do the right thing. He always wants to do the right thing. Lucky us things worked themselves out before we came and they saw what everyone else was seeing.”  
“Yeah you can’t just marry someone because you have everything in common. I mean Brandon and Kelly are exactly alike.”  
“Yep, I didn’t want to go because I knew they were wrong for each other. Then I thought how cruel of me not to make an appearance since we are the best of friends and he almost walked me down the aisle at my wedding.”  
“Well all's well it ends well.” Dylan took her by her sticky fingers. “Do you wanna play the ball tossing thing over there?”  
“Can we just walk? I mean if that’s ok.”  
“Yeah that’s fine.”  
“I mean we can play one game.” She began to compromise.  
“No, sometimes it's good to just walk, look at the people and observe the excitement especially when you’re about to make a big move. As soon as we get to the Walsh’s I’m gonna tell Kelly what I’ve been feeling, be completely and utterly honest.”  
“Honest about what?"  
“That I’m in love with her and that she’s the only one on my mind. C’mon Andrea I told you this.”  
“Dylan I didn’t want to say this or address this situation on such a beautiful night but please tell me that you’re not planning on inserting yourself back into this love triangle causing a whole new set of problems.”  
“Yes.” He posted himself in front of her in defense. “I’m sure that there will be some kind of an uproar but everyone knows how I feel about Kelly so why should we have to spend our time going out with all of the wrong people when we are perfect for each other.”  
“Oh, please Dylan present the evidence that you have for this perfect love?”  
“I went to a psychic and I had this outer world experience…” As Dylan ranted on about his dream his friend shrugged her shoulders. “It was amazing and because of it I know that Kelly is the one-”  
“Dylan, are you even hearing yourself you’re absolutely delusional. If Kelly was the one how come you returned to Brenda a few months after your outer world experience.”  
“Don’t bring up Brenda. I was upset that Brandon went with Kelly so I took a familiar path of mine and went running back to my crush in high school and you know what things ended the exact same way they did the last time. Brenda isn’t the one and she’ll never be the one. I am choosing Kelly and going down the road that was intended for me.”  
“I think this is all coming about because of Antonia!”  
“Damn right it is!”  
“Tony passed away after our wedding because it was the universe’s way of saying that we weren’t meant to be together. Why else would she die the day after of our wedding?”  
“Dylan, would you get off this meant to be crap?! You’re scaring me. If you were in your right mind you would know that going back to the Walsh’s house and asking Kelly to marry you is not right. Yes, the wedding between Brandon and Kelly is off but it doesn’t mean that the feelings aren’t still there and if you do what you’re about to do you’ll end up hurting Brandon.”  
“He’ll be fine.”  
“No he won’t! Please don’t do this you guys are practically brothers.”  
“My mind is made up. I will marry Kelly Taylor.”


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Yes, back then Dylan was determined to pick up where I had left off. Speaking of Andrea, I believe it was the next day that she had officially left the hospital. She ran into Val at the entrance as they waited for Uber. Valerie remembered when she saw her at the party throwing away her ring. She took this as the opportunity to comfort seeing that her and Andrea were neither friend nor foe. They ended up at a little well known restaurant, ‘well well-known to us,’ ‘The Peach Pit.’ Nat welcomed them with opened arms kissing them both on the forehead, just like he did with all of us. Now the Peach Pit had changed drastically since we last stepped foot in it. It was on the corner of a shopping strip with a glass window for its forefront. The jukebox had been replaced with coffee machines and the clientele was now cool hipsters from college and high school. It didn’t matter which form it came in the Peach Pit was home.  
“May I have a mega burger and a shake?” Val requested.  
“I second that.” Andrea raised her hand.  
“It’s coming on the house.” Said Nat from behind the counter.  
He disappeared into the kitchen to fulfill their request and when the door swung shut behind him they both broke out in laughter.  
“He's so happy to see us.” Andrea replied. “To our final night in Beverly Hills.” They raised their club sodas to a clink.   
“Funny I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. Being in this restaurant makes me not want to leave.”  
“Oh, I agree. So, what have you been up to Malone?”  
“Nothing much.” She said playing it safe. “I mean nothing that you probably don’t know about. The accident of course shook me up and made me realize the importance of life. Especially since that nice man past away. How bout you? Are you ok?”  
“I don’t know. Weird response, but I really don’t know. I thought coming back here would be totally different from before. But it's not. It's still the same Beverly Hills with minor changes. I thought the party and the ceremony would be a boring affair but look at all that’s already happened and it only seems to be getting more interesting by the moment.” She said this while thinking of the kiss Brandon and her shared.  
“I hear you.”  
In a matter of minutes Nat came out with burgers and fries. He placed it in front of them to their delight.   
“So how long are my girls staying?”  
“Just for the night.” They said in sync.  
The disappointment on his face couldn’t be hidden. “Only a night, what’s the rush. After being in that disaster no one should be rushing to go back to work.”  
“It’s just best that we head back.” Andrea answered for them both. When the words came out of her mouth she began to wonder why she was so anxious to go home, she knew who would be waiting at her door, Jesse the last person she wanted to see. He didn’t even bother to stay and see her out the hospital, no, he just took the kids the day before and left.   
Nat handed them his number on the way out while they promised to stop by Joan and Franky, his wife and son, a promise they had no intention of keeping. They walked down the strip where the restaurant was in not in any hurry to check into a hotel room. They expected a whole new world given the amount of time they were away, but walking down that sidewalk proved differently. It wasn’t Rodeo Drive, there was just a Planet Fitness, a Forever 21 and a few jewelry stores, nothing special yet the whole block was lit up like Christmas. Housewives were sporting their best heals and their kids were decked out in Gucci. People walked by with their loaded shopping bags in pride, paying money like they were celebrities. Valerie got a similar feeling when she first got off the airplane and they went for a drive in Brandon’s convertible.   
“All the years I lived here and I still don’t belong.”  
Valerie was overcome by laughter, Andrea had read her loud and clear.  
“Why are you laughing?”   
“Because it's exactly how I felt the moment I came off the plane and set my foot in this pompous place.”  
“Oh please Val you fit right in.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Nice face, nice body, nice clothes, you might have not been rich like the rest but you certainly looked the part.”  
“And that’s exactly what all that was, me trying to look the part. Got a job, stole some cash, swindled some, ran a business, became a gold-digger in hopes that I could measure up to all of the fonnies that lived here.”  
“Ha, wow, being an outsider and seeing all the excessive spending and abundant waste I thought I was chosen to save this spoiled heap. I wanted to address the issues, stop global warming, end world hunger, lead the women’s movement, all before my twenty-fifth birthday. And lo and behold by twenty-three I was just trying to save myself from motherhood and marriage.”  
“Isn’t that how life is? You start one way then God throws you a curve ball then you end up places that you never thought you’d be.”  
“Correct.”  
“Even though we’ve never spoken Zuckerman I truly do admire you. Most women would have seen having a baby and raising a family in college as the end for a successful life but here you are making it happen.”  
“Thanks Valerie. I just wish that I was worthy of that complement.”  
The detective could see that she was on the verge of opening up. “What’s going on?” She questioned.  
“I can’t tell you everything, I feel I have already said too much. But all for the sake of being honest I am currently rethinking what I thought was success. I raised a family in college and still graduated at the top of my class at Yale which was a huge accomplishment. With all this success, I wonder why I am not overflowing with an indescribable joy. Everything in my life, sixteen waking up in the morning to ride the city bus for an hour to go to a better high school that I wasn’t supposed to be attending, clawing the top to make straight A’s in every class, carefully planning my future well past three in the morning has lead me to this success that I am not of the moment proud of.”  
Val understood. From the sound of it her marriage was in the toilet and her house was completely dysfunctional. “So, what are you going to do about it? You can’t just keep going back to him. You can’t go on being unhappy.”  
“Like I said before I don’t know.”  
“Andrea… how come we never really… talked? We’ve never had a moment like this.”  
“Oh Val our lives ran in different circles. You came down around the time Jesse had come into my life and then Hannah was born. You were living out your college years and I was being mom just trying to stay afloat.”  
“Yeah, that’s right.”  
“And if you would allow me to be truthful, you weren’t someone that I had plans on getting to know.” As soon as the words came out she wished that she hadn’t spoken them. “I’m sorry, we were having such a-”  
“It’s ok, I’m aware of how I use to be, I wasn’t the nicest girl. I had a negative view towards all of you for the exception of Brandon.”  
The name Brandon caused Andrea’s insides to jump. When she felt that feeling it caused her to become mentally frantic. How could it be that after a week her stomach burned at the sound of his name? “That’s right, you two were childhood friends.”  
“That, and the fact that when none of you were around he was nothing but sweet and kind to me. I felt that everyone was trying to turn him against me, especially Kelly. I thought everyone was against me, including you.”  
Andrea leaned into her shoulder, in awe that the person that everyone had come down so hard upon wasn’t at all as terrible as they made her out to be. “I don’t blame you for not liking me back then. It was back then. I think what we all forget is that we were young, stupid, immature, why should we let our adolescent’s rivalries follow us into adulthood?”  
“Truer words have never been spoken.”  
They had gotten to the end of the strip and decided to turn around and walk on the opposite side. Just as they were crossing they noticed a few black vehicles tailing them. The flags that were waving at the front of the car was a dead giveaway to who it was. Stopping at the curb, the cars pulled off to the side and the tinted window rolled down.  
“I hope you girls don’t plan on walking to a hotel.” Brandon poked his head out just enough to let them know that it was him. He had exchanged his hospital attire for his more distinguished Presidential suit. The most captivating smile appeared on his face, the one that suspended words and melted hearts for years. He didn’t waste any time, he insisted that they take the car behind him and follow the family and him back to the Peninsula hotel where they were staying. Valerie and Andrea took a chance and rode off with him. If they were alone they both would have turned down the offer. Seeing that one revealed to him that they had murdered someone and the other shared a very intimate moment with him the last thing they wanted was to be in the same building together. But to avoid suspicion of the other they took the very promising deal wondering in the car why Mr. President would offer it in the first place. Both didn’t have any place to stay before and now they were heading off in armored cars to the Presidential suite. In a matter of moments they were there, the cars pulled around to the back and that’s when they were coeurjolly introduced to the First Lady and his two sons. The service was right on top of them and it was almost overwhelming, still up to the room they went, Brandon lead them to the suite right next to his. It was definitely a dream room with a balcony overseeing a private pool area.  
“You know we’re only staying here for the night.” Andrea said earnestly.  
“Don’t be so modest.” Said Brandon as he sat down in the reclining armchair. “I am the President of the United States.”  
“That’s right… “Val agreed sarcastically. “So, all the liquor that we order and all dirty purchased movies is on the Presidential tab, right?”  
“Absolutely… not.” Brandon replied. “And to ensure that fact I will be in here to make sure that you ladies only purchase the necessities.”  
“You’re going to be in here?!” Andrea couldn’t put her finger on what scheme Brandon was pulling. She was completely on edge, she had made-out with him seven days ago, and there she was being introduced to his wife. It was a nightmare, she was now the other chick and the guilt was building since she knew exactly how it felt to be the wife in the dark. “Why are you not going to stay with your family?” She would have rather slept in the park opposed to this. She couldn’t quite figure out why Brandon was playing the glorious host completely ignoring the awkwardness of the situation.  
“Well I get to see them all the time. I only get to be with you two for the night.”  
“Brandon why I am here? “ Andrea questioned lividly. His chill demeanor wasn’t going to get past her.  
Valerie could tell there was something happening that she wasn’t aware of.  
All jokes aside Brandon’s composure shifted. “Andrea let’s speak privately in the room please.”  
“Sure,” she said leaving with him.   
When he closed the door, she was certain that he was going to address their intimate moment. When he’d offered up the room she was prepared to give a clear explanation, but as soon as she was introduced to Mrs. Walsh she wanted to pretend that it never happened.   
“Listen I’m sorry.” Andrea stuttered. “You have a family and so do I, that moment that happened in the hospital shouldn’t have happened and let me be the first to apologize.”  
An overly stressed Brandon grabbed her hand in hopes that she would settle down. “Whatever emotions that are brewing between us is the least of our problems.”  
Suddenly, she was scared. “What are you talking about?”  
“They’re after us. Kelly and Steve, that is.”  
“Ok, I’ll play along, why?”  
“Sanders was around the corner when we were having our little moment and he caught us on camera doing it.”  
Andrea’s bottom lip fell. She couldn’t believe this. How could the worst possible thing happen? The person from their crew who resented him the most stumbled upon them in their moment of weakness and was able to tape it. “Steve wouldn’t.”  
“Yes, he would, he told me himself and Kelly was standing right beside him condoning the whole thing.”  
“Oh my God. Do know what would happen if reporters were to get ahold of that?”  
“I’m not gonna find out. Listen I have drastic measures that could be put into place, but I don’t want to go there, not just yet, so what that means is you’re gonna have to help me get back that tape or both of us are screwed.”  
“Oh you can’t be serious. So I’m going to have to stay?”  
“I’m trying to stay another day as well. I’ll have to make up some excuse and hope that my staff buys it.”  
“Is Steve really going to do this? Ruin our lives for his own selfish gain?”  
“From what I know, yes, he smokes in front of children and he hates me. He’s a maniac. I can’t take the chance of that video hitting the web, if it does nobody in Washington will take me seriously, they already think I’m a joke because I’m young.”  
“Ok, ok, I can’t afford to have this come out either.” She started breathing heavily. “I’ll um… postpone my trip back home, obviously, and we’ll find some way on how to erase that video. What’s the drastic measure that could be put into play?”  
“As the president let’s say that I have a lot of people at my disposal, hackers, and secret ops who could probably retrieve his phone and or erase it all while covering up their tracks.”  
“So why can’t we do that?”  
“Like I said I would have to admit to my staff that I cheated on my wife. Andrea let’s spend tomorrow getting that tape and if we can’t I promise that I’ll make use of that option. I don’t think Steve is going to give up the footage immediately he wants to make me sweat.”  
Leaning into her hands she couldn’t believe that this was happening. “Why would Steve go this far? Yes, we haven’t been on the same page as of late, but we don’t deserve public humiliation. That just isn’t fair, my family is already falling apart, I could barely keep it together as it is.”  
Brandon pulled her into his arms. “Don’t worry we’ll get his little video, I have a few tricks up my sleeves, and when we do I’ll make sure that he pays.”   
“So, what do we do now?”  
“We go to bed. Play it cool for Val, take her to the airport at the crack of dawn, and then we deal with this tomorrow. My family should be going home so I shouldn’t be occupied with anything, at least not in the afternoon.”  
They exited the back room. Valerie ordered a pizza in their time away and Brandon and Andrea hopped on the bed as happy as they could be to eat a Little Caesar’s pie. They kept it cool for the detective but inside Andrea was crying in pain thinking of all the consequences that would occur if that video was released. They had no intention in going to sleep, they spent a good long while shooting popcorn into each other’s mouths and finally they watched ‘She’s All That,’ on cable television before they gave way to exhaustion.   
When Brandon woke up it was four in the morning and the cooking channel was on. He looked to his right and Andrea was underneath his arm, her head on his chest. Immediately he was brought back to the task that was before them when the sun rose. He sighed in disbelief in awe that so much could take place in such a short amount of time. His use-to-be best friend and his former fiancé conspiring against him, it felt almost unreal yet it made perfect sense. If he was to fail today, then his perfect life would take a serious nose dive. He always assumed that his reputation was what was the most important to him. Laying there he realized that there could be nothing worse than letting Andrea down. He dipped his hand into her hair missing her natural curls. He wanted to wish upon something and have Steve’s phone in his hand. If it were to get out, then she would be ruined, the bags under her eyes, her half-hearted smile, anyone could tell that she was tired. The video just might be the straw that breaks the camel's back, he had to protect her. He looked to his left expecting to find Valerie, he did, but she wasn’t beside him, she was instead sitting on the balcony taking in the breeze. He wondered what she was thinking as her head hung over the ledge looking over the pool. Something was troubling her. To her aid, he went gently placing Andrea’s head on the pillow, brushing the strands from her eyes and throwing the covers over her body.   
When he came beside Val she jumped and her wet hair flicked in his face. By the silk black robe and clear face, he knew she had just come from the shower.  
“Decided you wanted to air dry?” Brandon teased.  
“Yeah something like that.”   
She had turned away as if something was weighing on her conscience. He massaged the back of her neck putting her slightly at ease. “I killed my father.” She simply came out with it and now he was all ears, he had forgotten about her secret.   
“Your father?” His heart sped up as she struggled to keep eye contact. “Didn’t he commit suicide?” He came in a little closer.  
“No, you see it started in middle school, he would just kiss me on the cheek and touch me places and then it got way out of hand. He didn’t want my mom to catch us so he would take me out of my room and into the master’s bathroom. For the longest I thought that this was the way it was supposed to be, your dad raping you in the bathroom, your mom listening on the outside like nothing's happening. Then I graduated, grew a pair, came to my senses and decided that I had to do something. I wanted out, so when he had me against the wall I was able to grab the spare gun from the counter draw that I had hidden there.” She showed him the scar on the inside of her wrist where the edge of the table slit her skin. “He started to get violent and when he turned his head I shot him. Just my luck the bullet entered in the perfect place to claim that it was suicide and everything aligned, stocks were going down and he was losing money so when I pitched the idea to the police that he killed himself it was very convincing and nothing else was explored. I cleaned the gun and placed it in his hand and I got away with murder. Ran back down the stairs then went up like I was just coming in and saw it. The next day I cried, and it wasn’t because I had just taken a human life, it was because I missed him, because he was daddy. I was so sick and in a way my mother knew I did it so she got scared that she would be next and that’s when your mom had called and offered me a place to stay because Brenda had moved to England. That next week she rushed me off to Beverly Hills.”  
Speechless was Brandon Walsh, the blood rushing throughout all his body from the beginning of her story to the end. It suddenly all made sense, her erotic behavior and her cruel methods. She saw his eyes water up, he just couldn’t keep them from overflowing.   
“Please don’t.” She begged, starting to tear up as well. “Say something.” She wondered if this was right, he was upset, the most upset she had ever seen him. “Say something Brandon.”  
“What is there to say? I saw this man, he and my dad would barbecue ribs together. Every other day he would take us to school and now I’m hearing this. Val I’m sorry.”  
“No need to be, I’m better now and besides you had no way of knowing.”  
“Oh believe me I knew. We all did. We would all sit around and ask why was this girl so mean. You slept around so much and everyone at UCLA called you the high-class whore and we just sat there. And I agreed. I couldn’t figure out why you were acting out but I guess I never really took the chance to find out. I was too caught up with Student Government and Kelly, always trying to look out for Kelly’s best interest.”  
“It’s ok, it’s all water under the bridge, it’s done. I finally found a job where I could protect others from being the victim and finally I’m in a good place.”  
“I just want to make it go away, I want to make it better.”  
She leaned into him and he planted a kiss on her forehead feeling guilty. “Don’t make yourself responsible. If I was to die on that bus I wanted you to know that. Not to burden you but because you’re the closest thing I have ever had to family.”  
“I’m gonna take you to the airport tomorrow.”  
“But… “  
“But what?”  
“But if I go home tomorrow how will I help you and Andrea get back at Steve.” Brandon pulled away from her, stunned. “You two don’t whisper well. I am a detective, you’re going to want me on your side.”  
“Val… I don’t want you to get into trouble.”  
“Please, I might have changed my ways but trouble is still my middle name.”  
All he could do was grin, answering in silence.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: That Same Night

“What are you doing with your life?” An upset Jackie Taylor pleaded. “You have a son who loves you! And what do you do?! You push him away so you can throw parties and hang out with that snake Percy! God knows what that man has gotten you into-”  
“SHUT-UP MOM!” Kelly screamed at the top of her lungs. The pounding in her head refused to cease and the lack of oxygen was causing sweat to break out from her cheeks. Her mother saw this, and she was backed against the hotel room wall floored by her daughter’s sudden panic.  
“What’s happened to you?” The question she thought she would never have to ask.   
“You happened to me that’s what?!” Kelly rebottled. “You think you could just come home late after an argument with husband number two, completely drunk, and delirious and expect me to be ok. All the other girls in school have mothers that care for them, see them off to school, but no, I have the mom that buys me a car every time she goes MIA for three days. Talking about me… how bout we talk about you.”   
Jackie’s eyes welled up with tears, she hadn’t been the woman she was referring to in years, but she hadn’t realized that Kelly was still feeling the effects of her former self. “You’re not me.” The mother of sixty posted herself in front of her daughter. “Do you hear me Kelly Taylor you are not me.” She emphasized.  
“I know I’m not… no… “She paced. “I’m worst.”  
Her response sent chills down Jackie’s spine, her eyes haunted her, and the sternness of her expression told her that there was nothing left to be said. Could it be, her precious baby girl gone forever? When the question arose, she darted out, it was too frightening to face.  
There was nothing else Kelly could do she had completely destroyed her life. It wouldn’t be long before the cops uncovered that drug trades that were being conducted at her house. They were already on to Percy. She thought and decided to give her mystery man one last victim. But---before she did that she had to take care of Joshua. How would she do that? It came to her and she decided that she had to give up her pride and tell her son who his father was.  
Kelly would spend the majority of the night pondering and as the million-dollar model pondered, she noticed she was once again alone.  
“Alone” Kelly said aloud. She hoped by saying it that it would bring on positive meaning, then she said it again, “Alone,” and that’s when she realized that that was all she would ever be alone. The fear of it all drove her to wild parties and meaningless marriages and even then, she could feel the constant pressure of isolation weighing on her like a bolder. And will it go away? No, never. She threw her last bottle of bourbon up against the wall, it was the final thing that had to go. She was wearing her best outfit and her bags were packed. Then the knock came from the door, it was him, the one she had been waiting for.  
“Brenda here I come.” She spoke before letting her late-night guest enter.  
He was an older gentleman with attractive features that had lessened because of age. His silvery gray hairs were slicked forward and he wore dark thick rimmed glasses. There was nothing but emptiness in his face which Kelly loved. He was the only one now who wasn’t judging her, who let her wallow in her self-pity and defeat.  
“How have you been?” She asked nervously.  
“Good.” He said with the absence of expression. He came in closer and instinctively she pulled back. “Are you ready?”  
“Yes… I just am a little nervous, you know, I’ve been watching the news and I see how you do it-”  
“It’ll be over in just a second.”  
“Wait-- before we do this I need to… “She went over to her nightstand and pulled out a white envelope containing a letter. She put it on the stand, staring at it an extra second in hopes that it would get to its destination. “Alright, go ahead.” She commanded in a cracked tone.  
“Lay down.”   
“Where?”  
“On your back. On the bed.”  
Kelly got into the requested position and Percy descended on her quickly wrapping his hands around her tensed neck. With her eyes closed she thought about the other side, but for some reason it wasn’t coming quick enough. Instead she was laying there painfully waiting for the air to leave her lungs. She started thinking of the past like when she was drunk. There was a moment where Steve had turned away from her, they were on the beach after a volleyball game and his eyes turned away from her in shame. In real vision, she was only staring into the dark eyes of Percy, it was when she came to that realization and she knew that it was it. There was no coming back. Kelly Taylor would be dead. Then it hit her ‘there is no coming back, I’m going to be dead.’  
“STEVE!” She screamed unknowingly and unaware that sound came from her mouth. “STEVE!” She screamed again and Percy had no choice but to force his hand over her mouth. Swinging her hand, she tried to fight. Kelly Taylor couldn’t give up her life, not without a fight. She wailed through the cracks of his fingers, there was no way to escape.   
A loud thump came from the door. It hit twice and then the third time even louder. Steve burst through, on his way to Kelly’s room to tell her what he would officially do with the tape. He heard her belting his name. Percy rolled over the king size bed, and Steve pursued him with lividness. All it took was one glance at Kelly’s lifeless body and he wildly attacked a slightly disoriented Percy who hadn’t expect his quick kill to end in a brawl. Striking his face repeatedly Steve pinned him to the ground, unrelenting, refusing to yield. Coming to his senses Percy kneed his opponent in the gut and he fell to his side. Once he was to his feet he went back towards the bed wanting to ensure his ex-lover’s death. Steve saw him going towards her and leaped off the ground with the intention of pulling her out of harm’s way. As soon as he was upright, Percy grabbed Kelly into his arms and pulled out a pocket blade. All movement ceased on Steve’s end once he put the knife’s sharp tip on the side of her neck. “Don’t come any closer…” Percy threatened.   
“If you hurt her… you will not make it out this room alive.”  
“Steve Sanders, one of her little boyfriends from grade school, I’m thinking, right?”  
The moment ‘right’ slipped from his lips. The back-sliding door glass shattered to the ground and from the curtains Dylan emerged with his pistol in hand. He fired one last shot into the neck of Percy and he and his weapon fell to the ground. Steve caught Kelly before her head hit the tip of the night stand. He lifted her and put her on the bed resting his head against her chest listening for the beating of her heart.   
“SHE’S ALIVE!” Steve confirmed.  
Dylan pulled out his phone to call 911 as the hotel staff on the first floor stood outside the room in disbelief.   
“Kelly… Kelly… “Steve cried cradling the unconscious girl in his arms. “Kelly hold on their coming for you. I love you, just hold on for me, just a little while longer.”


	9. Before Brenda Died

Chapter 8: Before Brenda Died

Kelly said ‘yes’ to Dylan’s proposal and the wedding plans that should have been for one of Brandon and Kelly, switched to Dylan and Kelly. Since they all ran in the same circle the guest prepared for wedding number two for the exception of Mr. and Mrs. Walsh.  
“Brandon this is outrageous, I’m sorry, but you told us that you were in love with Kelly, why aren’t you marrying her?” Cindy Walsh argued in the front yard of her old home.   
“Yes, mom, I know.” The former groom replied. “I still love Kelly but not in that way, it wasn’t her who called it off, it was us who did.”  
His mother calmed herself, she looked over at his father who was just as frustrated she, he sat in the rental car parked in the driveway. Cindy moved passed her son, she saw that her rose bush that she had planted in the front of the porch was dying, all the lights were on and there was music booming that could be heard from the outside. When her and her husband moved to Hong Kong the quaint, two story home transformed into a frat house, yet she wasn’t peeved, what was she to expect. “Who knew that coming here meant all this.”  
Brandon smiled at his mother. “Yeah, Beverly Hills, so not Minnesota.”  
“All the changes, they scare me, Brenda’s in England, we’re in Hong Kong, you’re still here… not getting married. I feel like things have happened so fast.”  
“Mom, stay for the wedding, Dylan and Kelly belong together, he’s loved her since high school. I’m fine really.”  
“I can’t.” She began to walk towards the car.  
“Why?” He escorted her.  
“Because you’re not, fine that is.”   
Cindy slid into the passenger’s seat, his parents drove off, most likely he wouldn’t see them till Christmas. Watching the car go down the road had made him eerie and homesick. He missed them dearly and the two weddings had prevented him from spending any quality time with them, his mom was right, so much had changed. He went into his house that was nearly turned around for wedding number two. He gave that fake smile, the caterers flew passed with food and the decorators had occupied every inch of the living room. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, ‘this is not ok.’ Dylan patted him on the back as he passed, not to mention he would be the best man for this wedding just so he could get the perfect view of his almost wife marrying someone else. It had only been two weeks. It had only been two weeks and Kelly was tasting the icing on the cake like she was absolutely sure. Was he missing something? Was this how everything was supposed to work out? Was this how it was meant to be?  
When deep sorrow began to tighten its grip the doorbell rang and he dashed towards it. He needed something to do. When he opened up, he lost his breath.   
“Brenda!”   
There she was dark hair, not long but short, red lips, dressed to the tee, suit case in hand. His emotions became even more unstable. He acted out his excitement and gave her a big hug. Though inside he wondered, ‘what did she do now.’ They hadn’t spoken in a year and their parents didn’t know she was coming seeing that they had left a few minutes earlier. That could only mean that his sister had gotten herself into some trouble and she had come home to unload it on him and everyone else. The utterance of that name woke up the whole house, Steve came from the patio, Andrea and Valerie ran out from their rooms. Dylan and Kelly swung out from the living room. Everyone looked ecstatic, they huddled around her helping her get settled in. Brandon took her bags up the stairs.  
“Do you mind if she bunks with you Valerie?!” Brandon yelled from the second floor.  
“Well it is her room right?” She answered.   
“So that’s a yes?!”  
“That’s an absolutely! Bren you could take over!” She said so joyfully. She was excited to see her childhood friend, it didn’t matter what Brenda did or say, for all Val cared she could have the bed, the closet and put her out, for she knew if Brenda was present at this wedding things were surely about to go amiss.  
Steve caught that immediately. “Well, don’t throw a party just yet Valerie.” He told her in quiet.  
“Steve nobody wants to see this wedding happen. People are only staying because Kelly begged.”   
“I don’t want to see Kelly hurt.”  
“Kelly? She’s the bitch who hopped from one altar to the next in less than a freakin’ month I’m dying to see the finale of this episode where she cries off into the street and then gets hit by a car, or bus, either one is fine by me.”  
“Now why do you have to say stuff like that?” Steve rebelled.  
“Hey if there is anyone I’m feeling sorry for its Brandon, he’s the one who has to host this catastrophe-”  
“Shut up.”  
When she looked behind Steve she saw Kelly with her imported tableware in her grip.   
“I don’t want to hear another word from you and just to let you know you are not invited to our wedding, so come a week from now you’re gonna have to find somewhere to go for two hours.”  
“Oh, so you think you and McKay are gonna make it to a week from now? With Brenda here I don’t give it two days, with their history they’ll be back together and just maybe, just maybe… because you’re a little slow you’ll realize you’re just sloppy seconds. Oh and as long as Brandon’s name is on the house I won’t be going anywhere even if it's just for a couple of hours.”  
Valerie left Kelly furious in the kitchen laughing all the way up the stairs.  
“Ugh!” She grunted. “I hate her.” She vented to Steve.  
“You know that she’s right.” He responded to her aggravation.  
“What did you say?”  
“Kelly she’s right. Dylan can’t be trusted and now that Brenda’s here who knows what’s gonna happen. She’s never been known for making that wisest decisions.”  
“Ok, so what do you expect me to do, call off my wedding, tell everyone to go home, based on the hunch that my now fiancé may go back to his ex. Listen, this may look wrong but what if we are meant to be, what if we are supposed to grow old together? Nobody has considered that. Dylan and I are adults now we know how to be faithful.”  
Steve took her by the hand. “Kelly I don’t want him to hurt you. And I’m not crazy for thinking of this because his record says that he will. Now Brandon on the other hand-”  
“Is a boy scout; perfect, right? Well he cheated on me with that skank you guys brought on to help you out with the newspaper.”  
“What?”  
“Yes. It’s one of the reasons why we couldn’t go through with it.”  
“Ok so you’re doing this because you think Dylan’s going to be better? If you don’t want to call off the wedding, then at least give it a little more time.”  
“The guests are here now, so I will be getting married the beginning of next week.” She proclaimed sternly.  
Kelly walked away from him. She couldn’t believe it Valerie had done it again she took a moment of happiness in her life and she wrecked it with her foul words. It took less than a second for her taunting comments to get to her as well. The soon to bride thought. Why was Brenda here? They made sure to tell her that the wedding between Brandon and her was canceled. Did she not get the message? Ugh! She hated this. She hated every bit. She should be happy. Thinking more positively she started to pep herself up. The dispute that happened between Brenda and her over Dylan was so many years ago. Why should she be afraid? Above all else Brenda was one of her dearest friends, her presence at the wedding should only enhance the moment. Then why was she the last person she wanted to see walk through that door. Slowly but surely, Steve and Valerie’s words sank in, she saw Dylan welcoming Brenda and all Kelly could say was ‘not again.’


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Back in the hospital they all were sitting silently in the waiting room. They had all been in this predicament way too many times before for the same reason. Tragedy followed Kelly like a dark cloud, she was nearly burned down in a college frat house, she was shot and then raped. It was just like old times in the worse kind of way.  
“She’s going to be alright, she’s just resting.” The doctor informed and the sighs of relief came trickling out. Steve checked his phone making sure that he covered all the bases. He called Jackie and Mel. The grandparents treated Joshua to his very first trip to Disneyland and was waiting in line for a ride when they got the news. They were speeding down the roadways to get there. Steve kept looking on over at Brandon who hadn’t said a word. He just sat between Andrea and Valerie, with dry eyes that were filled with an overwhelming amount of guilt. There was one thing that Steve could not fathom, why would anyone want to hurt Kelly? She was by far the sweetest of their old crew, what was she mixed up in.   
It was Dylan who came over, his hand buried in his jacket pocket, his face completely straight.   
“You alright? What did you tell them?” Steve asked.  
“The truth.” Dylan responded in a calm manner. “What else was I supposed to say? I was taking a walk by the pool and I heard you saying that if he was to hurt her that you would end him. Heard the whole conversation through the glass door and I reacted. Since I was robbed on the street a couple years back I always carry a gun. So I shot. Nothing else.”  
“Yeah… I mean I get it… you did the right thing. But-”  
“But what?”  
“You still killed someone. You don’t feel anything?”  
“No, the bastard got what he deserved. I refuse to give him any of my pity. The police said that they’ll be in contact with me just in case they need to ask any further questions, other than that I’m free to go.”  
On the other side of the room Andrea leaned her head against Brandon. Through the side of his arm she heard his heart beating wildly. “How you holding up?”  
“I’m fine.” The President said simply knowing that if he didn’t respond she would keep poking. “For eighteen years, I didn’t care about her until now. It’s funny how death does that.”  
“Yeah.”  
“This isn’t her first and now I’m sure it won’t be her last.”  
One secret service member approached them and Andrea knew immediately that the news he was barring wasn’t good. He knelt and whispered in the President’s ear that the First lady was waiting for him down the hall. He had told Charlotte and the boys to stay in the room. Why would she be here? He knew for sure she didn’t care about Kelly.   
When he got to her her face became ugly. What is it this time? Brandon wasn’t at all prepped to go at with her, not again.  
“Have you’ve been keeping up with the news?” She put one hand on her waist.  
“Just tell me what’s going on?”  
“Journalist snuck into Kelly’s room and found a letter on her nightstand.”  
“And… “  
“It was about you.”  
“Ok.” Brandon answered now completely lost and at the same time curious as to what was in the note.  
“Tell me something and for once be honest. Is Joshua your son?”  
He took a step back not believing what had come from her mouth. “Is Joshua my son? No. What did that letter say?” He asked sternly.  
“Well it appears that Kelly said that you are the father of her child, and don’t make up your face like you don’t know what’s going on because it makes sense. The last time you two were together you were about to get married, that was about nineteen years ago. Joshua just turned eighteen.”  
Charlotte had accused him before he could make an explanation. That wasn’t the surprise. Kelly wrote a letter that told the world that he had another son. “Alright, alright, shut-up.” He answered his wife. “That’s not my kid, she must have been on something.”  
A call came in through Brandon’s cell, it was his Chief of Staff Bob Glendon advising him to address the press immediately before the story took on a mind of its own. He tried to explain to him that the accusations were false, but it was clear that that was no longer important.  
Marching back out into the waiting room he turned on the television that was hanging on the wall. His wife was right, the Kelly and Brandon story was all over. Everyone saw it, Steve, Dylan, Andrea and Valerie, the reporters went on and on. What would happen if this was the President’s child? Will he live in the White House? And the worse question arose. Does the President have any more children? The newscast infuriated Brandon, his cabinet barely trusted him and now that the letter had hit the media, he would forever be viewed as a playboy rather than a respected politician. He turned off the television, then called Charlotte demanding that she take the kids back to DC and that he would be right behind her once he spoke to the press.  
Everyone present in the room eyed each other and there was a moment of awkward silence.   
“So, are you the father?” Dylan just came out and said.   
“Are you seriously asking that question? Let me tell you something, this kid was made right around the time when you and Kelly were about to have your fake wedding.”  
“Yeah, I would say that, but then she put your name and I don’t think she would do that if she wasn’t sure.” Dylan defended.  
Brandon let out a light chuckle. “The last time I was with her she told me to stay away from her son. I mean am I the only one who sees what’s going on here? This little fiasco isn’t murder, it’s suicide, that’s why that note was there. We all know that sources have confirmed that Percy has been lingering around her house, he was no stranger to her. Well I guess boys we’re going to have to face it the girl that we all boned one time or the other is a maniac! And her dying wish after this fool choked the life out of her was to screw me over.”  
“Excuse me.” Steve pulled back his shoulder to where they were staring face-to-face. “Kelly is the victim here. Just in case you forgot.”  
“What the hell are you talking about?! She had this guy come in and kill her because she couldn’t do it herself.”  
“WOULD YOU SHUT-UP!” Dylan yelled at the top of his lungs. He took in a deep breath as if he had been wanting to say that for years. “It doesn’t matter what you say!” He continued. “He could be mine he could be yours. The fact of the matter is that I blew down a glass door and saw some man trying to stick a blade through her neck. So the press is talking, who cares. For once can you get your mind off yourself and take a look around you. I nearly married this girl, you did too, you loved her once right? Didn’t you? She could’ve been gone. Percy is a murderer and he nearly choked her to death. That’s it, end of story. So question is are you gonna be there for her or are you not?”  
“McKay you’re the last one to talk, I was there, I always was there for Kelly. While you were off on some island being a moapy bad boy I was there sticking it out through all the crap, half of them you caused.”  
It was Andrea who came between them hoping to restore order. “Listen.” She uttered, having heard enough standing in the background with Valerie. “In these situations, we must think and act logically. It’s easy for us to approach this on pure emotions and lost memory, but we must remember that none of us have spoken to Kelly in two decades. Not to say that the Kelly that we once knew isn’t there, but she could be leading a dangerous life, one that none of us would suspect. Dylan and Steve, you come against Brandon, but Percy was a part of her social group and we know for a fact that Joshua wasn’t living with her. That could very much mean that she is on edge and dabbling into things that one shouldn’t. She throws wild parties and somewhere in the mixed there are probably alcohol and drugs, both of which she has history with. And who knows she could have stored vengeance for Brandon for what was said at the hospital and set this whole entire thing up.”  
“She was screaming!” Steve proclaimed. “She called out my name in fear!”  
“I understand.” Andrea rebottled. “The thought of death could be a lot nicer than actually going through with it. Most likely she panicked towards the end.”  
“Defending your boyfriend I see. No surprise there.” Steve insulted.  
“That’s it.” Brandon threw on his jacket and straightened his tie. “I’m going to tell the press the truth, it doesn’t matter what Kelly said, I’m the President it’s my word against hers. I’ll even take a damn paternity test if that’s what it takes.” Brandon brushed past Dylan heading for the hall.   
Dylan followed him. “So that’s it, you’re just going to hang her out to dry.”  
“No he’s not.” Steve laughed sardonically and Brandon stopped in his tracks. “Because I still have that discriminating footage, and if you think the White House is going crazy now, I can’t wait to see what they do after.”  
“Steve erase that footage!” Valerie commanded at her patience’s end. “Brandon is not the only one on there Andrea is too. And if that was to go out their children will also be in harmed.”  
“Excuse me was I talking to you?”  
She posted her body in front of him. “Listen I don’t care if you’re in love with her ok. The fact that you’re willing to ruin two people’s lives just because you want to earn her affection is a new low even for someone as stupid as you Steve.”  
The cord was struck and Steve lowered his phone. “Valerie why the hell are you here, everyone knows that you’re jealous of her.”  
“Jealous? Oh really?”  
“Don’t try and play it off. You’ve always envied that it was Kelly that everyone wanted and not you. You’ve always been a trifling whore.”  
His insults cut her deep, none of them never really came out and said it until now.  
Brandon stepped in front of her. “Trifling whore? Really? Aren’t you the one who hold stocks in the Playboy Mansion? How bout you keep her name out of your mouth, especially when you don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
“Brandon, you’ve always failed to see what Val really is. I don’t know how she was like when you first met her, but ever since she moved into your house in ‘95 she’s proven that she isn’t worth the floor we step on-” A fist came from his left and smacked him on the side of his face throwing him off balance. The service pulled Brandon out of the squabble unable to sit back and watch him engage in the fight. Valerie beat him to the ground as he tried to wipe the blood on his face. She beat whatever part of him she saw first grunting and crying in anger. It was Andrea that broke her away tumbling to the ground with her body in grip.  
“I HATE YOU!” Valerie screamed. “I HATE YOU!”   
The hospital guards would then come to escort them out the building.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:  
An interesting morning it had been. After being kicked out the hospital Andrea, Valerie and I headed back to our hotel room. We spent the whole day recuperating. Adding on to the baby daddy drama, word had also gotten out that there was a little fight in the waiting room and the media ran with that one as well. I was pissed, no words can possibly describe how pissed I was. When I hit the room my lovely son had called and he had a few kind sentiments to say in regards to all that was going on. He started with the statement that I was the worse father in the world and took it from there. I couldn’t say that this surprised me from Austin, no not at all, it was really all a matter of when he would say it. And by then I could say that I was not in the mood to be scolded by my son. It was there where he told me that he had met Joshua in the hospital’s break room and that I should take care of him. I threw the phone down immediately at that comment, how many times would I have to say that this wasn’t my son. But it seems that no one in the world believed me. It was when I was wallowing around in defeat that Andrea would reappear.  
“Trying to explain everything to your boys?” She asked.  
Brandon nodded with a sigh knowing that Andrea understood his frustration. Her eyes darted away from him, he thought maybe it was because they weren’t able to retrieve the tape, but the more he studied her he saw that it was something else.  
“What happened at the hospital shouldn’t have happened.” She continued. “Finished talking to Valerie and I’m happy that she is ok.” Brandon grazed his thumb over her cheek at the scratch right below her eye that she had received from Valerie’s flailing hands when she had pulled her off.   
“What’s wrong?” He responded in concern.  
“You know how much I care about you. And that’s why I must ask, what if Joshua really is your son? What if she wasn’t lying? Everything does match-up, the time and everything. It would either have to be between you or Dylan.”  
“That’s my problem, nobody is considering Dylan. They all look at me, why? Is it because I’m the President and not some drunk author?”   
“I don’t know, and you’re right they are singling you out, but you can’t go in front of the press tomorrow morning saying in definite that Joshua isn’t yours when it’s not.”  
“You see the paternity test is the icing on the cake, I already know that that kid isn’t mine. I would know, I’m a father already. I knew that Jamison and Austin were mine from the moment they came out of the womb. Jamison, he looks… he looks just like my mom, eyes and nose.” He began to tear up. “Austin, he came out the womb fighting, from the get go he was a fighter, just like Brenda, man you can’t tell that kid anything. I was on the ropes about Austin being mine at first. I had just come into Washington and here it is the first woman I sleep with is pregnant with my child, I didn’t believe it, but my gut told me to stick around. When I saw Austin it was love at first sight. Zuckerman I know my children.”  
Andrea reminisced on the moment she had Hannah. She couldn’t have come at a worse time, her father didn’t have two pennies to rub together and she was a sophomore in college, yet she brought her an uncontainable joy. Whenever things became rough she had those moments to hold on to. “You still have to take a paternity test before you make your proclamation. Don’t make Joshua suffer, this is probably weighing on him harder than anyone else. He’s trying to go to school and all he hears in the hallway is whispering about the craziness that’s going on and he’s done nothing to deserve it, but he’s forced to deal with it.”  
“He’s not mine Andrea.”  
“This isn’t as bad as you think. It isn’t scandalous like that footage Steve has of us, it’s just an old girlfriend’s child, you have nothing to be ashamed of.”  
“But he’s not mine.”  
“If you deny your own son on television you’ll always regret it.”  
It was clear he wasn’t going to get her to budge. That annoyed him. He put his phone in his pocket not aware that he hadn’t hung up from Austin who heard every word. The boy canceled the call when he sensed that his dad had walked away. Brandon left Andrea standing in the hall flustered that he couldn’t get through to her. He paused once he noticed he was walking by the room his wife and kids were in, since they had left he had given it to Valerie who seemed to need the time of loneliness. Not having spoken to her since the hospital incident he decided to poke in to get an update of how she was doing.   
Lightly he knocked before stepping in. A soft smile pierced his cheeks when he found her splayed out on the cover of the bed aimlessly gazing into the cracks on the ceiling. It was her sweet perfume and deep sorrow that filled the room. The orange light that came from the lamps were splashed on the wall and in a couple hours the sun would arise to officially bring about the new day. It was a long sleepless night; his suit was damp with sweat and his hair was slicked forward instead of back. It had been hard on all of them, but mostly for Valerie. In an instant, he could see where her tears had wiped away her makeup and her V-neck shirt had been stretched by Andrea’s tight grip. The last couple of hours were indeed long. He stumbled next to her in the bed with the intent of wanting to see what she saw.   
“You ok?” He inquired.   
“Could be better.” She answered.  
“I wish I would have gotten the opportunity to just get my hands on Steve. Oh my God, I wasn’t aware how much of a douchebag he had become.”  
Valerie started to laugh uncontrollably.   
“You see what I’m seeing right? I remember Steve being annoying, but this trip he’s pushing all my buttons, literary slamming each and every one. Like it’s an art of some kind that he’s mastered.” He began to laugh along with her. “And it's worse now because now he has Dylan as a wing man, I mean good God, the man gets a few mil and he goes off the deep end.”  
“Oh you’re funny. I’m happy you didn’t kill him by the way. Steve isn’t worth all that. That’s why I’m so upset, because I let him get to me and call me something that I’m not. In the end I should’ve just walked away and left him there. You’re the President, the video he still has and I don’t want him to have anything else over you that will make them think that you’re something that you’re not.” He sighed. “I’m just to the point where I don’t care anymore. I don’t know if that’s dangerous or not, I just know that I can take it, I worked too damn hard to be pushed around by someone as ignorant as him.”  
“Yeah but-”  
“I will not stand for him disrespecting me, and I will not sit back and look on while he hurts you, if there is a second time I will not let the service hold me back.”  
She snickered. “I have combat training-”  
“Yeah… I could tell by the way you knocked him to the ground.”  
“Yes, lots of training, and I could handle myself Mr. Man, I don’t need you putting anything on the line for me. Bottom line is I shouldn’t have taken what Steve said to heart.”  
Brandon grabbed her by the hand and they sat upright. “You do know what he said wasn’t true.”  
“Of course-”  
“Valerie, you do know what he was saying wasn’t true.”  
Her expression went from one of absolute to doubt.   
He let her lean into his arms and he held her tightly. “You are the most noble person here. Since this trip you’ve been the only one I could count on and when I come to think about it you’ve always been like that for me, even when I haven’t been that for you.”  
“Don’t give me so much praise. You’ve always had a lot of good friends, like Andrea.”  
“Andrea and I were just talking. It was about Joshua. She says that I should hold off on the press conference tomorrow because there is no evidence that proves that without a doubt that Joshua isn’t mine. I told her that I trust my gut and my gut says that he isn't so I know that he is not my son. And Andrea she’s the Chief so whatever I tell her she’s gonna throw it back at me and give me the smarter and wiser answer. But sometimes I don’t want the smarter, wiser answer, I just want someone who believes in me.”  
“That’s just Andrea, she’s gonna do what she does best and look after you even if that means disagreeing with you.”  
“Do you believe me?”  
“I don’t think I have a choice you are always so convincing. I’m always on your side, even though it hasn’t always seemed that way. I tolerated that roller coaster called Beverly Hills 90210 for those five long years because I wanted to be near you and I wanted you to see how on your side I was, I mean if that makes any sense.”   
“Perfect sense.”  
“The hardest thing was to see you leave Beverly Hills. I knew you were angry, Brenda died and then your parents. Believe me I understand you had every reason to be angry. It's just I never thought that the next time we would speak to each other is here, nearly twenty years later.”  
“I’m sorry for leaving but again I’m not perfect-”  
“Of course you’re not perfect, you were about to marry Kelly.”  
Brandon laughed. “I’m happy we got to have another moment like this.”  
“Another? We never had a moment like this. You were too busy bailing me out of something.”  
“Most the time, yes, but there was this one time.” His eyes lowered waiting for her to catch on.  
Valerie threw back her head as if she had no recollection.  
“You remember? What was it freshmen, or sophomore year of college? I don’t know one of the two. My parents just moved to Hong Kong. We were sitting on that old couch in the living… “He paused so that she could finish his sentence.  
“It was just a normal night at Casa de Walsh, I believe that we were planning on selling the house for tuition, but then Nat convinced us to stay, so that moment was pointless.”   
Pointless? Hardly. It just so happened to be the reason why Valerie despised Kelly so much. The reason why she continued her vendetta against his future fiancé long after there wasn’t a reason to. The house was empty on a Saturday night and it was just Brandon and her relaxing on the sofa. They were talking, talking about things that were quickly forgotten as they became intimate. She could feel him taking her all the way when opposition would come to bring the perfect moment to a halt. At the door was Kelly and she hastily detected what was about to occur between them. Still to the day Valerie didn’t know what her nemesis said in that brief time she was there but she knew as soon as she left whatever her and Brandon had was gone.   
“I would say it was quite the opposite.” He could tell that she was attempting to run away from subject, he went against her wishes and kept tugging away. “I had this move in college where I use to put my hand to the back of the girl’s head,” and like he did years ago he whisked his fingers alongside her neck and into her hair. She wouldn’t allow herself to breath in satisfaction, what he was doing was wrong.  
“Relax.” He uttered, and she released. Brandon was relentless in the gentlest of ways. She tried to keep composure, really, she really did try but she collapsed, his will was stronger than her own. Melting into his arms he grabbed the rim of her pants pulling her into his lips. He pushed against and didn’t hold back as if she would escape from him. Chills dispersed from the pit of her stomach and when it felt too good she released and pushed him off.   
“What’s wrong?” Brandon questioned not wanting it to end.  
“What’s wrong? This… everything… you could get caught for the second time. What about Andrea and Charlotte? What about them huh? I’m not going to be your side chick.”  
“Ok. Fine. Now tell me the real reason.” He demanded.  
“Brandon I’m serious!” She inched away.  
“And I’m serious too!” Furiously he knocked one of the pillows off the bed. “Side chick?! Really?! After all we’ve been through Val?”  
“Listen you think you know me.” She started to pace in fear. “You think you know all the things I’ve done; the truth is you don’t even know the half of it. I slept with a guy for one night and almost got aids, I slept with a father of two children and then threatened to tell his wife if he didn’t give me money, I slept with my mom’s fiancé before their wedding. Believe me there is so much more to me than killing my father. There is something wrong with me!” She cried. “There is something wrong with me and I don’t want to bring you into the middle of all of it. I’ve-”  
“I don’t care.” He smiled in the middle of her self-belittling.   
“Brandon I don’t want anything of me to lead them back to you.” She pleaded.  
“Valerie, I don’t care.”  
Yanking her shirt, she collapsed into him barely able to stand, he didn’t hesitate one bit in kissing her and he knew that this was what he had wanted all along. He was halfway through unbuttoning his shirt when she screamed, “Wait!” attempting to think up another reason as to why it couldn’t happen.   
“Hey…” He grazed her cheeks making sure his eyes connected with hers. “Kelly isn’t coming to the door, not this time.”


	12. Before Brenda Died

Chapter 11: Before Brenda Died

“Why were you walking by yourself?” Dylan asked Brenda who he had just picked up on the side of the road.  
“I was thinking, about stuff.”  
“That’s not a full answer Bren.”  
They stood in front of the Walshe’s house in preparation to go in, but he couldn’t do so until she told him the whole truth.  
“At least tell me why you’re here.” He asked.  
“Why is everyone asking me that?!” She got defensive. “Is this not my parents’ house? Why can’t I come home? Tell me why Dylan?”  
“Brenda, we all know you. You’re always up to something, so what do you need? What’s bothering you? What is it?”  
Brenda struggled to find the words, as if they were stuck in her mouth, it was then that Dylan knew that something was terribly wrong. The question now was what.  
They entered the mad house together and what they came into caught both by surprise. Kelly was crying, her face a light red like she had been sobbing for hours on end without ceasing.  
“You’re a liar Dylan McKay!” She screamed, she glanced at Brenda ominously, then threw her ring in her former fiancé’s face. She ran into Steve’s arms in the backyard, it was one of his friends from the frat house that had relayed the news about the affair. Dylan caught in his hand the ring; he had never been so confused.  
Brandon oversaw everything from the top of the stairs.  
“Brandon! What the hell is going on?!” He looked to his best man for an explanation, he wondered what could have possibly happened, he only went for a quick drink.  
“You two might wanna try being a little less predictable.” Brandon said as he came down from the stairs.  
“Again, I ask, what is going on?!”  
“Dylan, you could cut the crap we all know that you and Bren were making out behind Club 99. Perfect plan to, but you got caught. Good news travels fast. And Kelly called off the wedding.”  
A distraught Dylan couldn’t formulate a sound, he went dashing to his then lover in hopes of explaining and changing her mind. As soon as he was gone Valerie’s merciless shriek of laughter followed, leaning against Brandon she was filled with a glee.  
“Are we now preparing for your wedding?” Valerie taunted Brenda, all his twin could do was put her head down.   
“Not the time Val.” He nudged her lightly letting her know that she had to leave. It was then just Brenda and him on the first floor.  
“Did you do it Bren?” He said this in the kindest manner, hoping to get an honest answer out of his sister.  
She answered, “No,” in the most unconvincing way and he shrugged his shoulders, which confirmed that the rumors were indeed true.  
“Well if you didn’t do it, you should go to Kelly and say that it was a lie.” Her brother took her by the hand to do just that. “C’mon let’s see Kelly.” When he tried to escort her, she snatched her hand away.  
“You see it is true!” He revolted.  
“Yes, it is.”  
“Ugh! Bren how could you?”  
He went off immediately to console Kelly with the rest. There Brenda stood once again the black sheep of the family. The house that once brought her so much joy felt like a prison. It was then that she decided that she was done being the puzzle piece that no longer fit.  
She picked up one of the photos they were planning on placing on the cover of the program. “If the wedding is off and they're not getting married then yes, it is true.” She said to herself hoping that no one heard.  
My sister. Only my sister. She had a good heart she simply did not know how to handle things. When the rumor was confirmed true even though it wasn’t I got drunk. I didn’t remember drinking all that much after talking to sis but then again, I was drinking and that’s the point of alcohol right? You want to forget. Anyway, I wasn’t the only one tipsy that night Kelly was as well and when we came together for a second after the anger and the rage settled we had one more night of passion that I would completely forget by morning. It would be a week after this encounter that she would discover that she was pregnant. And when she found out it appeared to be too late.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:  
A whole nother day went by and night was approaching quickly. Steve had come back to the room that Dylan, Kelly, and him had taken up residence. Kelly woke an hour after they had been escorted out and had just been released thirty minutes ago. Her doctor suggested that she stay overnight, but she refused to stay a second more. Steve was gone all day and when he came back he had a packed bag with just a couple pieces of clothing that he planned to cram inside. Dylan came out of Kelly’s room, he had been tending to her since she came in.  
“She wants to see you.” Dylan said as Steve zipped up his overloaded bag.  
The business man draped his coat over his right arm, “I can’t, tell her I say hi and bye and wish her a happy life.”  
“So back to Chicago I presume?”  
“No, but good guess.”  
“So where?”  
“Just not here.”  
“And we’re not going to see you until the next twenty-year reunion.”  
Pausing for a brief second, he wondered why Dylan would use the word ‘we’re’ when he barely had contact with any of them for the exception of a sleeping Kelly. “Or maybe not at all.”   
“I see.”  
“You two should leave together, back to New York, see to it that she gets home safely.”  
“Don’t leave yet, at least tell me where you were coming from.”  
“I just dropped the Andrea and Brandon tape off to a journalist at ET. After her dinner she should be getting to it.” Steve said with a blank face.  
“Ok, I thought you were going to help me see Kelly home?”  
Talking to Dylan was like talking to a person who was mentally ill. There was something about him that wasn't right.  
“Dylan what do you want from me?” Steve dropped his bag to the floor. “Yeah, we both care about Kelly, but we’re not friends, so I say that we part here.”  
At the sound of Steve’s suitcase hitting the floor Kelly got out of her bed. She heard her boys arguing and she snapped out of her tired state to press her ears to the door to see what was the matter.  
Dylan kicked Steve’s bag out the way. “Tell me why have you been acting out like a little brat who has a score to settle. You were always crazy Steve, but seriously, smoking in middle school classrooms. Not to mention that it was your nephew’s class, embarrassing him like that. Whatever you think you’ve done, or whatever has been done to you isn’t that bad.”  
“I know that you never cheated on Kelly.” Steve remarked.  
The comment had come out of nowhere and Dylan struggled to figure out what he was referring to.  
“Remember Muntz from the frat house, yeah him, I called in with a solid, ‘you owe me one.’ I told him to come to the door with the news that you and Brenda were kissing behind Club 99. He asked the regular questions of ‘why would I want him to do this’ blah, blah, blah. Noble me I said that I was protecting Kelly, that I knew you would hurt her and that she would end up in the grave like your first wife. Teared up a little bit, and it was enough to clear his guilty conscience and he did it. At first everybody was in shock, figuring out how to respond, and that’s when I stirred the pot and drummed up the drama, put my acting skills to the test. And you know what by the time you and Brenda came in the damage was done and the wedding was officially called off. All throughout our friendship I’ve watched Kelly go back and forth between you and Brandon, and then you would go back and forth between Kelly and Brenda, and Brandon would go back and forth between Kelly and girl #302, I dunno. I just didn’t want her to get hurt!”  
“If you loved Kelly Steve why didn’t you just tell her?”  
“You don’t get it, I don’t love her like that, never have. You don’t have to be romantically involved with a girl to deeply care about her something no one in this God forsaken town seems to get. I just want her to be safe, at peace and out of harm's way. Ever since I broke her heart in high school by spreading those rumors I’ve always wanted to protect her.”  
“Ok, so is that why you’re acting out? Because you care about Kelly, is that why-”  
“No!”  
“So, it’s Brandon, you don’t like Brandon is that right-”  
“BECAUSE I CAN’T DO ANYTHING RIGHT!” Steve blurted out. “In high school I faked my grades! I nearly got Brandon and myself expelled from college!” He cried hysterically and then came to a calm point. “I look back at my life and I can’t remember ever doing things the right way, there was always some short-cut. Now in this part of my life I’ve been laundering money from my clients. I can’t stay one place too long. The police came to my apartment yesterday looking for me and they’ll be looking for me when I get back.”  
“Steve… they are going to find you.”  
“I know, I just want to see how long I could keep it up. Believe it or not, I’m not anxious to go to jail.” Steve picked back up his bag and headed for the door.   
“Wait.” Dylan exclaimed. “Don’t leave, I want to tell you something.”  
Steve looked on him with grief, like he was a soul that wasn’t worth saving. He left, and when the door slammed shut Kelly, who was still listening, wept on his behalf.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

That very night, I was still in the bed with Valerie, she lied next to me peacefully sleeping not aware that a whole entire day had passed by. For a strange reason while I laid awake bare under a hotel’s chandelier the tears rolled down my cheeks. Abrupt car accidents, paternity test, scandals, kissing one girl only to sleep with the other. I predicted I’d leave that afternoon in someone's’ convertible to escape the problems that had been brewing all those years behind. This was Beverly Hills. After I became the president-elect they made me travel back to my birth home and I was surprised to find that I had no connection to the four-season state and its quiet roads. My neighbors and a good bit of people from my middle school were still around and they told my new fans that I was a man raised with Christian values. That I was kind and good natured. That all I achieved was because I was a stand-up guy. The more I thought, the more I pondered I realized that what Steve said in the hospital was correct. I worked hard, maybe, but my record was far from clean. What those old friends were reciting was what they said for all the boys who grew up in Minnesota, but really, I hadn’t been that kid in years. No, I was a volley ball, club going junky, who liked women in bikinis, that drank martinis for breakfast. Girls in my neighborhood in Stone Temple wouldn’t dare let you get into their pants and lo and behold in Beverly Hills I almost slept with a girl my second day. ‘I am a womanizer,’ here I was in the sunny state and it only took me a couple of weeks to go from crazy about Andrea to crazy about Valerie. California converted me from the day I moved into Casa de Walsh. The past three days were something else, but would it be weird and illogical to say that those were the best days I had in a while. Maybe because Brandon Walsh didn’t just live in Beverly Hills, he became Beverly Hills.  
A sudden knock from the door, and Brandon’s thoughts were interrupted. He wiped the tears from his eyes and went to answer it. Valerie heard the bed creak and woke up immediately. She woke up just in enough time to see Brandon go for the door handle in nothing but his underwear and a white T-Shirt and she knew that he wasn’t thinking clearly.  
It was Andrea who just came back from Nat’s house with Joan and Franky. While she was there she had failed to think about where Brandon had gone after their discussion last night, now she knew. She just came to check up on Valerie, but obviously, she was fine and being well taken care of.  
“I’m sorry.” Andrea said before turning and walking away. Brandon couldn’t run after her like his instincts were pushing him too, if there was anything that the trip had taught him it was to be cautious.  
“Wait,” Valerie called out. She threw on some clothes quickly, chasing after the doctor. “Wait.” She called out again when she didn’t slow down. Andrea was at her room, on the verge of swiping her key when a call came in. This allowed Valerie and Brandon to reach her. They watched how Andrea’s face turned sour inferring that whatever was being spoken on the other end was not pleasant.   
When she got off the line Valerie and Brandon tried to explain all at once.  
“Dylan said that Steve turned in the tape.” Andrea uttered quietly and the couple’s rambling came to a halt. Brandon’s heart dropped, he never thought it possible, but things were about to get crazier.   
“Dylan said to come to his room if we want to get it back.” She continued.   
They didn’t hesitate in dropping everything, packing up in less than a minute, then heading across town to Dylan’s hotel. The room door was wide open as he sat in the center on a cushioned stool.   
“Why are these clowns here?!”   
Brandon looked over his shoulder and saw Steve wistfully standing in the corner. “Steve Sanders, well now that you successfully ruined our lives, your services are no longer needed.”  
“Oh, believe me Walsh the pleasure was all mine.”  
The President wondered what kind of sick thoughts he was having this morning. This was exactly the reason why he had stayed away in the first place.   
“Where’s the service?” Steve inquired.  
“They are protecting the President, who is sleeping in his hotel room.” Brandon responded.  
“Oooh, Brandon breaking the rules, this is a rare sight.”  
“Sanders I am the President of the United States, the Ruler of the Free world, if you think for one second that I cannot get to you than you are more of moron then I thought.”  
A furious Dylan stepped in between the two as things started to get heated. “I suggest both of you take a seat.”  
Steve laughed sarcastically. “I’m not taking a seat, I missed my flight because you convinced me that Brandon had stolen the tape back.”  
“Wait,” Valerie came into the mix, “Dylan said that he was going to help us get the tape back.”  
“Ok what the hell are you running here McKay!” Brandon shouted.  
Everyone was outraged and the room broke out in chatter, Dylan, the one who they were confronting could barely get a word out.  
“SHUT-UP!”  
Kelly yelled at the top of her lungs and she removed herself from behind the door. Her eyes had rings around them and her hair was unkempt as she eased herself into the circle wrapping her robe around her body. “Now Dylan has something that he needs to say.”  
“Really so I miss my flight because Dylan has something to say?” Steve repeated. “Please, humor me what is this important news, what is so important that I have to stay here another night.”  
“I know why Brenda killed herself. And I thought you all might want to know too.” The mood instantly changed at the mention of her name. Brandon’s heart could be heard beating on the outside in anticipation. Steve quieted himself and everyone else mentally leaned in as he continued. “It was after that night, the night that the wedding was called off, I had lost all hope in getting Kelly back and me and Brenda were talking in the room.”

Before Brenda Died  
“Dylan, we didn’t even do anything!” Brenda yelled furiously as he laid on the bed. “I’m tired of fighting with Kelly like I’m a convict.”  
“It doesn’t matter what we do they’re always going to think that we’re doing something.” Dylan agreed. “When I told Kelly that I was going to be committed that was a promise that I intended to keep, I guess that’s what happens when you’re someone like me.”  
“That’s not fair.” Brenda sat next to him on the bed. “People love to treat you like how they think they know you. Whatever cheating happened it was back in high school or it was because you were depressed, in which you had a good reason to be.”  
“Well Bren, nobody else seems to think so. Steve is walking around ugly eying me, you know I think he was the one who told that lie about me and you.”  
“Why would he do that?!”  
“Because he’s Steve, there never is a good explanation to the things he does.”  
“You’re gonna hurt him aren’t you?”  
“No.” He said without expression. “I’m tired. When I left after Antonia died and I came back I expected to find peace here. I want to move on but nobody will allow me to.”  
She understood that statement perfectly. “I love this place so much, but it’s changed. No matter what happened in Beverly Hills I could always trust that things were going to work out for the better. I’m here and I wonder, why things are not working themselves out? What happened to our Utopia?” She collapsed on his chest.  
“Your brother and I can’t even talk anymore. I thought we could always talk. Didn’t matter the girl or the severity of the problem…”  
“Same here. It’s sad really, I thought Brandon would always be the one to get me or at least understand. Then I came and some of the first words he said were ‘why are you here?’ As if I need a reason to come home. This is my home.”  
“Yeah, you’re always welcomed, but since you’ve been here you never told us why you came.”   
“I wanted to see you Dylan McKay, can that be enough?” She chuckled.  
“It would be, if I believed you. You left Brenda, and showed up out of the blue.”  
“And you’re trying to say… “  
“What kind of trouble are you in?”  
Her eyes teared up as an awkward smile appeared, she had been found out. How do the words find their way out? “Don’t tell anybody. A couple months ago, I was diagnose… with breast cancer.” The worse part of the confession was seeing Dylan shoot up from his bed as if he had been struck by lightning. She couldn’t return the words now so she simply continued. “When I found out it was like a bad nightmare had come to past, I thought I was in the same boat as sophomore year, but no, this time it wasn’t nothing it was something.”  
“Brenda,” he said her name as if he was losing her.  
“Dylan don’t tell. No matter what happens you can’t tell anybody especially Brandon.”  
“Are you-”  
“Sure, yes.” She said confidently. “This isn’t the same case that I had in tenth grade it's the real shabang. I don’t want any chemo, or medication, I don’t want to be shot up with anything, I just want to live and die here.”  
“Brenda…” His trembling voice tried to get out what he wanted to say.  
“Please don’t feel bad for me, don’t look at me the way the rest of the cast in England did when they found out. I don’t want to be looked at like a ghost, like someone who won’t see Christmas next year or like I’m not going to see my forties or fifties.”  
“Why would you tell me this? Why me?”  
“My dying wish is to be with you. I didn’t think it was a secret.” Brenda wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek on his chest. She heard how his heart was beating at rapid speed, even though he wanted to convey easiness, inside he was terrified. How could she expect him to be anything less? That year past in a blink of an eye and Brenda had died like Antonia in the worst way possible. 

“I didn’t get it at first.” Said Dylan. “A couple days after the funeral it all came to me. She was scared and the closer we got to the wedding the more she told me that she was tired of dying, that she just wanted it to end. She was already becoming weak and there were days when she was full of pain. She kept telling me she didn’t want to do it anymore. I guess she was trying to put me out of my misery. How selfish she was, instead of making my life better, she made it worse.”  
Brandon suddenly became sick. He didn’t know. He didn’t have the slightest clue. The wall that Steve held up for so long cracked and the tears that he kept inside flowed out like a river. His sobbing started a chain reaction of sobbing. Brandon couldn’t think of any other time that was like this, he missed his twin. Oh, he missed her and in an instant, he felt the emptiness that he’d been trying to avoid. It paralyzed him, made him cry louder than before, it was then that he was truly facing that Brenda was gone. This made Kelly wonder how she could’ve said the things she did without her tongue dropping out of her mouth, she was ashamed of herself. She collapsed to the ground weeping; it was Valerie who came to her rescue. Dylan walked out the room and Andrea went running after him, the remaining four cried and cried until they couldn’t cry anymore.

These were emotional times to say the least, but I remember the hotel room more for what happened afterwards. You'll be surprised at how happy things become when you face your troubles.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

“Hey remember when Steve groped that woman who turned out to be a transvestite.” Brandon said with drunken laughter.   
All four of them were on the cotton rug with their empty bottles off to the side, some more intoxicated than others. Brandon laid on the stomach of Valerie as Valerie laid on the stomach of Steve as Steve laid on the stomach of Kelly as Kelly laid on Brandon.  
“Oh leave Steve alone Brandon,” Kelly jested slapping him on the lower part of his leg. “remember when you got caught in between your two girlfriends.”  
“What two girlfriends?” Brandon giggled.  
“Yeah… Good question Brandon what two girlfriends?” Steve retaliated. “You had so many you can barely keep up with the ones you had.”  
“For your information, Kelly, they were not girls they were beautiful intellectual women.”  
“I think they’re talking about Lucinda Nicholson, your professor’s wife in college.” Valerie reminded him. “The professor who gave you such high praise and then almost outed you because you were nailing his hot wife behind his back, oh, and Clare, the underage high schooler who just so happened to be the Chancellor's daughter. I think the story ended with you getting caught in the same hotel as both. I find great pleasure in imagining how much you must have sweated. I could still remember you telling me.”  
“It’s hilarious!” Kelly broke out into excessive laughter.  
“Alright, alright, alright, alright, I get it I’m not as clean as I make myself out to be.”  
“Woah, woah, woah now Brandon don’t sell yourself short. You were sleeping with your professor’s wife while trying to run for student body President.” Steve turned over.  
“Oh Steve don’t join the women, she was a fox what was a young boy like me supposed to do. I mean she was all over me.”  
“Yep admittedly you boys really knew how to leave em’ burning.” Kelly commented.  
“Yeah, I especially loved how Chancellor Arnold thought that Clare was as sweet as pie. He introduced you scholars hoping that you two would solve world peace not contemplate on whether sleeping together was the right thing to do.” Said Valerie.  
“But I never touched Clare, I left her ripe and ready for you man.” Brandon tapped Steve’s shoulder.   
“You know I do remember in one of our bedside talks her mentioning how she tried to sleep with you.”  
“Yeah, Stevie, she handcuffed herself to my bedpost, and you know what I did? I went to the door, turned off the lights and said, ‘I’ll see you in the morning.’”  
“How could you man? Did you get a glimpse of that body?”  
“It was tough but I did the noble thing-”  
“And continued to sleep with Lucinda Nicholson instead.” Kelly cut in and everyone once again broke out into laughter.   
“Ok, so you want to guess who came next on my hit list?” Brandon tilted his head.   
“Oh yeah, that’s right. Kelly you can’t talk because you knew about Nicolson and Clare yet you went out with Brandon while still in a relationship with Dylan I believe.” Valerie estimated.  
Brandon spoke. “Yeah that was around the time that one of the student government members aka Stewart had suspected that I was sleeping with Lucinda and was determined to rat me out if I didn’t come clean about the affair. That’s why I needed Kelly to be my date at the function so I could throw Stewart off… God I miss that guy.”  
“And naturally because we spent so much time at the retreat pretending to be a couple we naturally developed feelings.” Kelly explained. “.... Wow Steve you were on to something when you called us the dreaded foursome.”  
Valerie giggled at her epiphany. “Well because Brenda was in London it was left to you, Brandon and Dylan to carry the dramatic romantic torch of shame. I believe this all kind of ended, key words ‘kind of’, with a Bachelorette season finale, that no one, I really do mean no one wanted to see.”  
“HA!” Steve tumbled on the carpet. “That’s right, how was it like Valerie? ‘Who will she choose? The hunky bad boy Dylan McKay who promises to stow her away to far off places, with no restrictions, no boundaries, just coconuts and breath-taking ocean views in a hut on the island of her dreams. Will she be his soul-mate? Or… will she marry the Minnesota Cornball Brandon who only offered up the ring because he couldn’t promise her no restrictions, no boundaries, coconuts or a breathtaking view in a hut on the island of her dreams. Viewers at home what do you think?’”  
Steve pointed his imaginary microphone at Valerie. “‘Well I believe Dylan is her destined lover, he did go to a bogus psychic who confirmed that his cowboy western dream was indeed a revelation that him and Kelly were meant to ride off into the sunset with just the wind on their backs. But then again Brandon is least likely to spiral out of control.’”  
“Alright guys that’s enough.” Kelly pleaded comically.  
Valerie hugged him with her right arm. “Ok Steve I think we had our fun. The ending was so lame though.”  
“You’re telling me Val. Who will she choose? ‘I choose me’” Steve imitated Kelly’s girlish voice.  
Valerie sided with him. “The journey was so intense and the conclusion so lame and cliché.”  
“Oh, I’m glad you found my love life hilarious and because you’re having so much fun picking on me it's going to be even more fun picking on you.”  
“Mmmmh… “Brandon pondered. “This is going to be difficult Kel, Valerie has a rose gallery of things to choose from. To be fair let's just take out all the times she slept with everybody else’s man…”  
“Well I guess I had that one coming.”  
“And let’s start from the first time you moved into my house in 1995.”  
“Oh my God Brandon!” Kelly popped up. “Remember when she was smoking weed upstairs and she tried to convince everyone that she was burning incense.”  
“It was so weed!” Steve knocked his head against the floor.  
“Just when I thought we were friends Steve. Yes, I was smoking weed, but I was a girl who was angry and depressed.”  
“True.” Kelly admitted. “But we were in college, we knew the difference between incense and weed. Remember Ginger?”  
“Oh my God, are you really going there? At the time it sounded like a good plan.”  
“Val,” Brandon chimed in. “you ran your own con so you could get back into the group’s good graces. I mean we would have happily accepted you back in if you weren't so vindictive.”  
“And that’s why I had to convince Ginger to steal from the Martins so I could find the necklace and expose her and be appreciated again. If a vindictive girl was going to do the right thing she was going to do it… vindictively.”  
“Hey…” Kelly spoke pausing the rant. “Rewinding a little bit. Did anyone really get back in touch with Clare?”  
“I haven’t seen her since the beach.” Steve remarked reminiscing on their break-up and how much it tore him apart to see her choose her father over him. “Yeah, haven’t seen her.”  
“She was something else.” Brandon agreed. “I know we joked about her and the handcuff incident like she was just some other chick, but Clare was special, and I really wanted to kill you Steve for not chasing her down like a maniac. You both grew so much from each other.”  
“I still can't believe it. She was supposed to be my wife.”  
Valerie then sat up all the way. “There are always the doozies, and then there are the ones that you wished you tried a little harder to keep.”  
“You're forgetting the ones who you wished never existed.” said Kelly. “Like Collin.”  
“Oh, he was a fun guy.” Brandon replied. “He got hooked on the white powder, then got Kelly hooked on it, and nearly got us all in trouble by escaping the courthouse. I do think that Stewart, Brenda’s fiancé was the worst though.”  
“I just couldn't believe she agreed to marry that guy, she was still in high school.” Steve recollected.  
“One thing I learned was to never bet against my sister. She would go there.” To swerve his thoughts from Brenda he concentrated on finding another subject to touch on. “Isn’t it surprising how none of us have brought up David and Donna yet?”  
“Oh, those two.” Kelly tossed on the floor thinking of her step-brother and her best friend. “Haven’t really talked to them since they got married and moved to Tokyo. Me and Donna were always close, we were practically sisters. David on the other hand took some time to get used to. The first time I saw him was when he was driving Steve home from that party.”  
“Oh Sweet Jesus, where the hell is David, I could kill him right now just thinking about what that dork did to my car.”  
Brandon patted Steve on the forehead. “Oh buddy that’s what you get for drinking like a sailor. First you lose control of your four senses, then your memory goes a little numb, then bam, the next thing you know freshmen are driving you home and who would have thought, freshmens usually don’t have licenses.”  
“Brandon you’re killing me, you sound like our twelfth-grade sex-ed teacher. When you go to a party you get drunk.”  
“Wow. I wish I could have been there to see you guys in your high school days.” Valerie added, she wouldn't come to the Hills until four and a half years later. “I can’t even imagine David a dork, when we were together he was all man.”  
“Yeah after his best friend Scott past he changed a lot. Hey remember Ray Pruitt?” Kelly brought up.  
“Donna’s boyfriend, the hunky, emotionally scarred musician.” Brandon introduced.  
“Ray was a good guy he just had some issues.” Steve said.  
Kelly rolled her eyes toward him. “Issues? He threw Donna down a flight of stairs. She was the one who started his career, if it wasn't for her Pruitt wouldn't exist.”  
“And he knows that.” Valerie continued. “He has a great family now because his relationship with Donna brought out the worst in him. Kelly, you and I should both know how daddy issues could ruin your life.”  
“Correct.” She agreed. “My dad popped in and out like a Jack in the Box then for my college graduation he threw me the party of the year and then got hauled off by police after the final song by the Cardigans.”  
“I remember that. But don’t forget my father.” Steve adds. “I mean he had his moments where he was cool, yet, he was just never consistent. One day he would love me and the next day he was ashamed of me.”  
Brandon had removed himself mentally as the conversation shifted against him. He couldn’t help but to think of the last time he had spoken to his dad, how angry he was at him, and how it tore him up once he left the house. He hadn’t noticed how everybody else grew silent because of his silence.  
Valerie immediately detected the issue. “You had great parents Brandon.”   
“I sometimes wonder if they thought they had a great son. It’s one thing to betray parents who were abusing, uninvolved and judgmental, it’s another thing to betray parents, who were kind, concerned and loving. When I heard the plane had went down in Hong Kong I thought the devil was out to get me.”  
Valerie rubbed his shoulders as he mourned. “My fondest memory of Jim and Cindy is sitting around the table during the holidays. Your mom made the stuffing and your dad carved the turkey. The day before I did something to upset Uncle Jim, but I remember him welcoming me to the table like nothing ever happened.”  
“Yeah Brandon your parents were accepting, nothing you did or could ever do will change the love that they had for you and Brenda, for all of us.” Said Steve.  
Kelly cleared her throat as she teared up again. “I never got the chance to give my condolences and to say how much I really do miss them.”  
“We all do.” Steve added.  
“Its funny I graduated from the University of Washington as valedictorian, became a senator, became the president of the United States, and still all I want to do is grow-up and be like them. Maybe when this is all over, the president stuff, it’ll be nice to sit around the table again. I can’t cook like my mom, but I do know some of the best chefs in the world who say that they’ll cook for me on any given day.”  
“A presidential meal, sounds appetizing.” Everyone snickered at Steve’s playful remark.   
Kelly’s phone vibrated. “And guess what? I have a miss call from the Silvers. I guess mom must have told them about my incident.”  
Brandon hopped on the sofa with her. “Oh dear ol David and Donna.”   
“DONNA MARTIN GRADUATES!” Steve chanted. “The first time we knew that Brandon was gonna take over the world.”  
“Ah… man now I really wish I was there for that!” Val sighed.  
“Oh, you missed quite a movement. There was a time they had me speaking in the schools and all I could say was don’t drink during your high school’s prom.” Kelly joked. “Hey what’s that smell?”  
Tipsy on the hotel floor we thought the party was just getting started when we saw those bright blue and red lights. We laughed some more as they got closer and closer to the window. And we laughed just a little more when the sound of a thousand men shook the ground. And that’s when Val turned on the serious and asked who had beef with the cops. We looked around and noted that Steve was on the run because he laundered money, Kelly was associated with crooks and I was a very important person without any protection. So, it could have been anyone of us.   
“Brandon, quick go through the door!” Valerie ordered. I could barely stand neither could the rest. I helped rush everyone one out. Steve was more intoxicated so I wobbled with him down the hall. Kelly walked at a fast paced in front completely alright with being incarcerated. Her mom was already making plans for her to go to a downgraded version of an asylum. She continued texting Donna who had gotten in contact with her to inform that the kidnapping of the President of the United States was the top story. Most likely a story that my staff concocted to hide the real story which is that the President ran away. What sucked was if this was the lie that they were going with to cover up my faults than Steve, Valerie and Kelly were going to be the ones to pay. Val lead our heist, she hotwired and stole the vehicle that was parked in the handicap spot and became hotter than ever. We left and reporters, cops, FBI, helicopters, you name it were coming, we were OJ Simpson on crack. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any more exciting.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Andrea stowed away in the car with Dylan as he madly drove off. For the last couple of hours she sat quietly in the back seat as he rode around in circles. This was to be expected, he had just released his darkest secret, she predicted that he might be troubled hopefully on the verge of relief. She must have asked ‘where are we going’ a billion times before he had stopped in front of a familiar place. The trees crowded the abandoned home, and for the first time in nearly twenty years its abandoned owner went up its steps. They had parked in front of Dylan’s house, an expensive, man-cave, treehouse hide-out. They had come to know him as the rich man son who had been given an abundance of wealth and no real family. His mother was never truly a mom, she believed in spirits, ghost, and mirror balls, she took off to Hawaii the moment she divorced his father. His dad went insane once his money left, he became a drunkard and got into bed with the wrong people. At the young age of sixteen it was just him and this house.  
Andrea followed him as he opened the door. The memories that the house held. It was empty, rustic and falling apart. Dylan remembered his sister Erica playing her piano on the sofa, she had disappeared shortly after she turned eighteen. He moved into the kitchen area and he caught the vision of his first wife Antonia making breakfast, he was still in disbelief that she was shot and killed right after their wedding. He remembered kissing Brenda in the room when he knew that she was supposed to be home by ten.  
When thoughts overwhelmed him he looked back to Andrea who was standing in the doorway. “I wanna start over.” He nodded his head in certainty.  
“I do too.” She walked over and embraced him burying her damp face in his shoulder. “Let’s do that, let’s go back to the hotel room and be friends and start over.” Dylan moved his hands over the cracked wall, something was bothering him and she knew it. “Do you guys know that you were all I had? You were my family. I didn’t have anything. Father past away, mother left, had a sister for a little bit but she too got away from me. All I knew was you guys and when Brenda died I had no one. I was once again a prisoner with fancy walls.”  
“Money doesn’t make happiness.”  
“When I saw Steve leaving, the tape was turned in, so that meant you and Brandon were gonna go, Kelly was leaving. Yes, I was angry. I was extremely angry. Brandon told me at the party to go kill myself and Steve called me weak. But who else do I have? The thought of everyone leaving. I took a chance and I broke Brenda’s dying wish.”  
“It needed to be broken.” She went off on a daze as a constant buzzing went off in her pocket.  
“I just… What’s that sound?” Dylan asked.  
Andrea picked up her phone. She stared for a couple moments reading the headlines. “Dylan, would you believe me if I told you that Valerie, Brandon, Steve and Kelly are the prime suspects on the news.”  
“Which news?”  
“Just about every news.”  
“Think we should give them a call?”  
“Yeah… yeah… just making sure that my contacts aren’t blurry.”  
Andrea called and got my cell and I gave it to Val who was happy to inform her that we were royally screwed. She then told Val to drive quick and we too ended up at Dylan’s old pad. The alcohol was beginning to wear off and I saw where we were at and I was in awe.  
“Steve don’t go near the windows.” Andrea pulled him away. “We don’t want anybody to see you. And Kelly who are you texting?”  
“OH! You wanna see. Donna wants us to take a selfie so she could see where we’re at.”  
“Well there’s nothing really to see... “Steve walked around, “McKay you really let the place go--”  
“You guys can’t be serious!” The doctor screamed. “Kelly, they could be tracking your device.”  
“HA!” Steve laughed obnoxiously. “That stuff only happens in movies.”  
“No, I’m a cop,” Valerie pointed out, “That they do do, but they only go to those lengths when you’re a public threat.”  
Andrea questioned. “Ok so nobody’s murdered anybody?”  
“It depends on what you mean by murder....” Valerie started.  
“I wanted to kill myself a while ago-” Dylan chimed in.  
“But you always want to do that.”  
“ALRIGHT EVERYONE SHUT-UP!”   
The surgeon put herself at the center of the room and everyone fell silent. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you guys and if you think that this is funny, it's not, we’re all in very grave danger.”  
“Zuckerman.” Brandon came up from behind. “We’ve been in grave danger since this trip began and this is the only time that I’ve actually had fun with it.”  
“Ok, ok, ok, ok, so let me get this straight so all of you are going to be drunk and merry, and then let the cops arrest you?”  
“Yes, I’m tired of fighting Beverly Hills. Let’s just be one with this possessed Hell Hole and have fun.” Said Valerie.  
“I can see your point.” Andrea said sarcastically. “Great. WHAT ABOUT OUR KIDS?!”  
“My son hates me.” Kelly mentioned. Then it all came back to her that Brandon was still uncertain if he was the father. She had the choice to restate her argument or give everyone present a chance to relax. She decided that it was more important that they all took a breather. A lot was going on and Brandon was a good man who would come to his senses in time.   
“I know Austin and Jamison must love me. They always wanted me to get real and now I’m an escape convict who’s against the law. Every teenager could appreciate that.”  
“Oh my God I can’t believe what’s happening? Dylan just told us how Brenda past, is that funny to you?!”  
Thinking about Brenda made me sad only for a second. I realized that I couldn’t be sad for her anymore. Everyone's eyes turned to me. They wanted to see what I would say.  
“She’s gone, and I’m still here, we’re still. My sister will always and forever will be a mystery. But what if she was to see how bad our lives have become. We don’t speak to each other, there’s no sense of family and we complain like freakin senior citizens. She would hate that. Dylan had nothing to do with anything.” Brandon shifted his body towards him. “He was just trying to be a good friend and give my sister her dying wish. Sadly, she became afraid and I get the feeling that she didn’t want to cause you any more grief so that’s why she killed herself, hoping that in some way it would make it a little easier. In her mind that made sense.”  
“What are you trying to get at?”  
“We came to Beverly Hills for a ceremony in our honor, most of us were supposed to leave that night until we got into a freak accident. We end up at the hospital where I kiss Andrea and Steve conveniently sees us doing it. Then the whole thing with Kelly took place and McKay finally tells the one thing that we’ve been wanting to know since day one. I sneak away from the service-”  
“My mom just told me I’m being admitted into a psychiatric institution.” Kelly raised her hand.  
“I’m not going to lie I stole over a million dollars from my clients and I really do believe that the police are actually chasing me.”  
“They’re gonna probably take my badge away once I tell them that I murdered my father.” Everyone else for the exception of Brandon’s head swung towards Valerie as she came out with her secret so nonchalantly. “It’s a long story. Don’t be surprise. Who knows Steve we might see each other in passing when we’re in a holding cell.”  
“Oh, that’ll be nice, we could possibly re-enact what happened at the hospital. You know you kicking my ass and what not.”  
“I can’t think of nothing, for the first time I’m the one without a record.” Dylan confessed.  
The whole group looked toward Andrea who was sitting on a dusty couch head against her hand. “I’m getting a divorce. Yep, and my family’s gonna get split up.” She said in acceptance.  
“I’m probably getting impeached in a month or so. The point is not to worry… “Brandon patted Steve on the back. “Right after my life goes up in flames, I’ll take Kelly out on leave, pick Andrea up from the court when she signs the papers, get Val and Steve bail-”  
“And we’ll all end up right here--” Dylan concluded.  
“Right back here in Beverly Hills.”  
Right when I said that those lights from before started flashing in through Dylan’s pad and I knew from the screeching on the streets and the booming sound that came from slamming car doors that we were surrounded. This time there wasn’t multiple exits and the place for the second time was locked down like a robbery was taking place. I swore when some crook kills somebody he doesn’t have this much problems, but god forbid the President stows away for a day. We sat in our friendship circle of dusty furniture and old crates.  
“So, this is it.” Andrea nodded trying to come to grips with all that was happening. She wanted for once in her life to be a rebel like the rest and scream to the heavens ‘bring it on,’ but she couldn’t relax her twisting gut. The nerves plague the room as the ‘what the heck did we dos’ began to flood the minds of the soon to be arrested. Kelly shook. Steve scratched. Dylan shifted. Valerie tapped. What to do? What to do?   
Andrea was incorrect this wasn’t ‘it.’ If it was ‘it’ then it would be a lot easier to swallow. The fact of the matter was that this could be the beginning of the worse chapter of life and the cops and the FBI could be just the exposition. They weren’t daredevils they were adults in big, big, big, BIG, trouble. The room was no longer filled with jokes and Brandon felt like a general, just like that day when he led the march for senior year he would have to round up his troops and prepare them for what was to be the next twenty-four hours. What would he say? If everything that he said about breaking people out and still living happily ever after was false and if they were forever to live apart what would he want these five people to know. The constant stepping of police preparing to break in crowded his memory but finally he came to a thought, a very nice one.   
‘Imagine,’ I said, and everyone looked towards me. Imagine it's a Friday afternoon and school is complete for the week. There’s no deadline for the paper and your teacher has declared ‘no homework’ because of a holiday weekend. We all plan on going home when Steve suggest that we head to the beach, you know, because Steve never wants to go home. We surf, we play volleyball and we take in all the sights. California beach, there is always so much going on, birthday parties, tug-a-war, and the country club is always throwing an event. Up ahead is Kelly, Clare and Donna’s place. It still has those lawn chairs sitting out on the deck. The ones we picked up from Mr. Silver's house. Then after that we go down to the Peach Pit. Dylan takes his Porsche, I take that old white convertible, and we order up mega burgers and fries. We sit in that corner by the door, the one with just enough space for everyone to sit in. Clare is there. Donna is there. David is there. Brenda---Brenda is there. And let’s say this time David and Donna invite us to their wedding. They hold it at the Peach Pit After Dark next door. Nat walks Donna down the aisle. Steve, Dylan, Scott, and I are groomsmen. Kelly, Brenda, Donna, Clare, and Andrea and Val are bridesmaids. They get married and we take to the floor. Then that classic wedding song starts to play, what is it called, that’s right, ‘Celebrate.’ We’re having a good time and Steve is trying to throw a glass of champagne on me so I dart to the stage. From there I see my mom and dad sitting at the table with Jackie and Mel trying to avoid bodies tossing everywhere. On stage with Ray Pruitt and his band I realize that I have the perfect view. The perfect view to see Beverly Hills for what it really is. Pure chaos, but, it's my perfect cluster filled, chaotic, teen pregnancy, suicidal, school skipping, drunken, bus flipping, paternity scandal, psycho killer chaos. And as I jump back into the crowd of the most hated people that I am proud to call my family everything slows down, like the end of a teen soap opera. Dylan throws his hands in the air as if he kicked a field goal and embraces David in his married-ness. Then from there we all collapse on each other in the sea of people that we barely know all the while realizing that we did it. What did we accomplish? Absolutely nothing but a bunch of failed relationships and making out with every person that bat their eyelashes at us. But when you're in a moment like that it simply doesn’t matter. You discover that whatever life brings and whatever stupidness you get yourself into there will always be those kids from the 90210 to help you in and then help you out. And It's then, eyes filled with tears, and a smile that can’t be removed that Brandon Walsh realizes that ‘the hell’ he loves Beverly Hills and he wonders how he could’ve ever lived without it.

Just wanted to let everyone know that I wasn’t aware that Brenda (Shannon Doherty) had cancer in real life. I would have never written it if I knew. I just wanted to let everyone know that I am for sure she’s gonna beat it because she’s Brenda. She doesn’t let anything bring her down.


End file.
